The Ravi Shankar Ensemble

Maestro Ravi Shankar has had an indelible imprint on global music history and culture. With a career that spanned decades and continents, he was a virtuosic Indian musician and composer known for his mastery of the sitar. Ravi Shankar was a leading cultural figure of the 20th century and a major figure in the Hindustani music tradition, reshaping the centuries-old form into what is now as recognized as today and introducing Western audiences to the classical tradition of Indian Ragas. He popularized Indian classical music globally through his teaching, performances, and collaborations with Western musicians like Yehudi Menuhin, Philip Glass and George Harrison. His compositions for sitar and orchestra bridged the gap between Eastern and Western music. Shankar received the Bharat Ratna (India’s highest civilian honor), France’s Legion D’Honneur, a Knighthood from Queen Elizabeth, eighteen honorary doctorates and five Grammy Awards, including a rare Lifetime Achievement Award.

Sukanya Shankar (artistic director, curator) grew up in Madras, as it then was, immersed in Carnatic music and Bharanatyam. A child prodigy, she learned Carnatic music from her mother, as well as from Thuraiyur Rajagopala Sharma, Manakkal Rangarajan, Ramnad Krishnan and M.D. Ramanathan. A highly trained dancer, she was the first student of Kamala Lakshman and subsequently learned from the Dhananjayans. In 1972, she met Ravi Shankar when she was asked by his niece to play tanpura on stage with him at the Royal Albert Hall. Sukanya’s work includes as a promoter and consultant on Indian arts, organizing Britain’s first national festival of Indian arts in 1988 and serving on the advisory panel for the Arts Council and the Academy of Indian Dance. Today, she is the Founder and President of The Ravi Shankar Foundation, Chairperson and Founder Trustee of The Ravi Shankar Centre (RIMPA), a Patron of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in London, and an Honorary Council member of the Casa de La India Foundation in Valladolid, Spain.

Anoushka Shankar (curator) is a British Indian American sitarist, composer and producer renowned for bringing her distinct performing and compositional style to an incredibly diverse range of musical genres. She is a prolific 13-time Grammy®-nominated recording artist, touring veteran, film composer, artistic curator, published author, and an impassioned activist. Anoushka was the youngest and first female recipient of a British House of Commons Shield at the age of 18; an Ivor Novello Award-nominee for her A Suitable Boy soundtrack; an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music; the first Indian musician to perform live or serve as presenter at the Grammy® Awards, and the first Indian woman ever nominated; one of the first five female composers to have been added to the UK A-level music syllabus; and most recently, in June 2024, the recipient of an Honorary Degree in Music from Oxford University. Anoushka is currently celebrating 30 years of global touring since her prodigious debut at the age of 13. She began studying the sitar and Indian classical music under the intensive tutelage of her father, Pandit Ravi Shankar, learning by ear not only the musical tradition that has been passed on through generations but also the improvisatory freedom for which her father was so renowned. A love of this creative freedom has drawn her across borders and timelines to collaborate with a mind-bogglingly diverse array of artists including Herbie Hancock, Patti Smith, Sting, Zubin Mehta, Joshua Bell, Arooj Aftab, Jacob Collier, Nils Frahm, M.I.A, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and her half-sister Norah Jones. Anoushka most recently released Chapter III: We Return to Light, the final part of a trilogy of mini-albums, and was Guest Director of Brighton Festival 2025. She is a singular, genre-defying artist known for breaking new ground across realms, with a boundless commitment to forging connection, hope and peace through music.

Pandit Shubhendra Rao (sitar) is an internationally acclaimed performer, composer, cultural entrepreneur and music educator. A protégé of Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar, Shubhendra Rao’s relentless service in promoting Indian music has made him a highly respected figure in the field of music and education across the world. As a composer, he pushes the boundaries of classical music across cultures, composing and collaborating with Chinese Pipa maestro Gao Hong, American Jazz Guitarist Freddie Bryant, Japanese legendary singer Ryoko Moriyama, Bilbao Symphony Orchestra, Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, and the Chinese National Orchestra, amongst others. He is also the Founding Director of Musikul Education Pvt Ltd and co-founder of the Shubhendra and Saskia Rao Foundation, together with his wife, Dutch Cellist Saskia Rao-de Haas, transforming the way music is taught in schools in India. As the Indian delegate of the Creative Youth Development Conference hosted by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, he collaborates with an international team of experts on creating effective international policies on Child & Youth Arts Education. Shubhendra Rao is the first recipient of the Atal Behari Vajpayee National Award for his contribution to Art and Culture and the 2019 recipient of the prestigious Art Karat Award for Excellence for his contribution in the field of Arts. His recent performances include performing at the UN General Assembly in Geneva for World Human Rights Day and celebrating UNESCO’s 80th anniversary at the historic Ajanta-Ellora caves in India.

Ravichandra Kulur (flute) is an internationally acclaimed flautist who began his training under his father, Sri K. Raghavendra Rao, and later spent several years in close association with his guru, the legendary Pandit Ravi Shankar, who honored him as a “flute maestro.” He also shares a close artistic association with Anoushka Shankar and has appeared at iconic venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Sydney Opera House, Disney Hall, and many more. Ravi has performed over 1,200 concerts across 34 countries, blending Carnatic classical, world music and fusion jazz and collaborating with many global icons, including A.R. Rahman and Ricky Kej. His music has received international recognition, including Grammy nominated albums, establishing him as one of the leading flautists on the world stage.

B C Manjunath (mridangam) is a dynamic artist who revealed an innate musical talent and interest in percussion from a young age, encouraged by his father, legendary mridangam player, Vidwan B K Chandramouli.  Later he enlarged this musical perspective by training in Mridanga under Karnataka Kalashree K N Krishna Murthy and Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri T.K.Murthy. Manjunath’s creative impulses have flowered in various forms, from classical to fusion and in solo and ensemble performances, accompanying many great artists from India and abroad, including Sangeetha Kalaratna, Sri R R Keshavamurthy, Sangeetha Kalaratna Sri H P Ramachar, Mysore M Nagaraj and Dr. Mysore M Manjunath (aka Mysore Brothers), Dr. Suma Sudhindra and Chitraveena N Ravikiran. He has also shared the stage with international legends like Turkish Sufi singer Kani Karaca and trombonist Robin Eubanks. He has worked with composers Rafael Reina, Riccardo Nova, members of Bhedam and with Conservatorium of Amsterdam, The Karnatic Lab Festival, Zagreb Music Biennale, Fabrica Italy, Santander Percussion Festival (Spain), Perth International Festival, Roma Europe Festival, Milano Musica/John Cage Festival, Ictus Ensemble (Belgium), Quintetto Bibiena (Italy) and Het Nederlands Fluit Orkest. He has designed extensive online courses on Konnakol and Mridangam for rhythm enthusiasts on platforms like Livdemy and Shaale.

Anubrata Chatterjee (tabla) is one of the leading tabla artists of his generation. He is the son and disciple of the world-renowned tabla maestro, Pandit Anindo Chatterjee. Anubrata’s creative approach toward his music includes the traditional Farrukhabad Gharana and Lucknow styles of tabla as well as a modern touch in the presentation of his art with concepts like Beats & Pieces, The T20 of Classical Music. From Carnegie Hall to the Barbican in London from Wigmore Hall in London, to the Esplanade Theatre in Singapore, Anubrata has performed at many prestigious venues and music festivals, and he has shared the stage with well-known artists globally, including Japanese Koto star, Yumi Kurosawa, Wynton Marsalis, Amjad Ali Khan, Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Birju Maharaj, Ranjit Barot and Shankar Mahadeyan. Anubrata has won several awards and accolades, among the most significant, the President’s Gold Medal (2001), awarded by All India Radio; Pandit Nikhil Ghosh Memorial Award (2002); Pandit Basavaraj Rajguru Memorial National Award by Karnataka Government (2014), and Sangeet Natak Akademi Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (2016).

Padma Shankar (violin & vocals) is an acclaimed performer, composer and educator, known for her evocative artistry and deep-rooted training in the South Indian classical tradition. A senior disciple of the legendary violin maestro Shri Lalgudi Jayaraman, Padma carries forward his legacy with a nuanced blend of melody, rhythm, and emotional depth. With over three decades of professional experience, Padma has performed extensively across India and internationally, both as a soloist and in major collaborative projects. Her work bridges classical, contemporary and global genres, making her a sought-after voice in both experimental and cross-cultural music settings. Padma has been honored with the prestigious Kalaimamani Award — the highest state recognition for excellence in the arts in Tamil Nadu— along with numerous other accolades for her contributions to Indian classical music. A dedicated educator, Padma has guided a significant number of students worldwide and recently launched Swaraved, a platform offering self-paced violin and vocal courses designed to empower independent learning.

Aayush Mohan (sarod & vocals) is one of the most acclaimed Sarod players on the global stage. Known for his distinguished musicality and mastery of the Indian tradition, Aayush is a proud grand-disciple of Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar. His training belongs to the revered Senia-Maihar Gharana, having learnt from Balwant Rai Verma, Sharan Rani and Tejendra Majumdar. Apart from his sarod recitals, he often performs alongside his brother, sitarist Lakshay Mohan, the duo being known as the Mohan Brothers. Together, they performed at the prestigious Grammy Museum in Los Angeles at the opening of the exhibition, “Ravi Shankar: A Life in Music.” The duo received a historic endorsement when the Pandit Ravi Shankar upon hearing them in 2012, launched them on their debut U.S. tour under his foundation. Aayush has performed at some of the most respected venues across the world, including Symphony Space in New York City, Berklee College of Music, Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, the India Fine Arts Academy in San Diego, and Gasteig in Munich. A five-time TEDx speaker, Aayush has also presented lecture-demonstrations at esteemed institutions such as Wien State University in Detroit and University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

Schirmer Theatrical (part of Wise Music Group) is a creative producer at the intersection of music, theater, and technology—where legacy meets reinvention—shaping and transforming iconic artist catalogues into immersive, contemporary performance experiences for international stages. With a focus on multidisciplinary creation, we develop new symphonic experiences, theatrical concerts, and experiential productions that expand how audiences encounter music. Our creative projects are rooted in collaboration, bringing together top performers, composers, choreographers, directors, visual artists, orchestras, movie studios, and creative partners. We honor artistic legacy while pushing performance forward, resulting in globally scalable productions that redefine musical storytelling as immersive, collaborative, and alive.