Jugalbandi: virtuoso duets of classical Indian music

Indian classical music exists in a temporal universe all of its own, and performances can resemble a drawn-out ritual more than they do a Western concert. The Onassis Stegi is proud to present an evening with three jugalbandi, which is to say virtuosos duos of equal skill. This form allows an elevated musical dialogue to develop between instruments of the same, or a different, family, or between musics from different traditions (those of Karnataka and Hindustan, for example).

Τhe sarengi is the main bowed instrument in the Hindustani tradition. Famed for its timbre, which is close to that of the human voice, it is one of India’s most ancient stringed instruments. The other instruments are the tablas, with which we are all familiar, and the sreekhol, a clay percussion instrument which is played at both ends — the evening will end on a vigorous note with a duet between the two.

Subhankar Banerjee, one of the most important virtuosi of the younger generation, plays tablas throughout. He also drew up the program for the concert. There will be intermissions between the duets in which Indian dishes will be served in low prices.