Presented by District of Raga, in collaboration with The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Raaginder is a violinist and music composer from the San Francisco Bay Area. Hailing from the school of Maihar-Seni Gharana, Raaginder implements improvisation, rhythmic patterns, and the sounds of Indian Classical music on a modified five-string violin. He is deeply embedded into the tradition of Hindustani music through the teachings of great masters like Dr. Sisirkana Dhar Chowdhury and Ustaad Aashish Khan. While keeping that foundation, Raaginder is also immersed in contemporary music. He has produced several contemporary albums in which the sounds of Indian classical violin and hip-hop music intermingle. These works bring forth lyrical and rhythmic sections which stem from traditional elements while also infusing a modern touch.

Raaginder has performed in prominent venues all over the world such as The White House, Staples Center, Wembley Arena and many more. Through these endeavors and experiences, Raaginder's art brings forth a new, intense, and interesting sound for his audiences to hear.

Nilan Chaudhuri is a Bay Area based percussionist, performer, and educator. Initiated into the tradition of Tabla at the age of five by his father, Pt. Swapan Chaudhuri, Nilan has been performing as a soloist and accompanist for nearly two decades.

Drawing inspiration from his father’s innovative approach to classical Tabla solo, Nilan was determined from a young age to be a soloist. He presented his first public Tabla recital at the age of eleven, at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, in the presence of Maestro Ali Akbar Khan. It was during these formative years that Nilan was introduced to the world of Tabla accompaniment by Maestro Ali Akbar Khan, providing rhythmic support for his vocal and instrumental classes in San Rafael.

As a teenager, Nilan was inspired by the Jazz-fusion Band ‘Oregon’ a group spearheaded by his cousin, multi-percussionist, Collin Walcott. The band’s music influenced Nilan to broaden his rhythmic studies, and in 2003 he began learning the Drumset with Sly Randolph.

Since his debut performance in concert with his Father in Queens, NY, in 2005, Nilan has had the privilege of sharing the stage with some of Hindustani Classical Music’s most celebrated artists, at venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Fillmore, The Monterey Pop Festival, The Fox Theater, and the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House. His collaborations include projects with sitarist Arjun Verma, sarodist Manik Khan, Toronto Tabla Ensemble, Dennis Chambers, Miles Schon, and DJ Teeko. In addition to maintaining a busy performing schedule, Nilan teaches Tabla throughout the Bay Area as a faculty member at the Ali Akbar College of Music, in San Rafael, and as the Director of Percussion at Chitresh Das Institute, in San Mateo. It’s his lifelong mission to assist in preserving, and sharing the art of Indian Classical percussion with the world.

“This performance is featured as part of the Kennedy Center’s free daily performance series: https://www.kennedy-center.org/video/upcoming

We regret that as the theater reaches capacity, seats cannot be saved for patrons who have not arrived or are not next in line.

No free parking is provided for this event.

For more information about directions and parking, please visit http://www.kennedy-center.org/pages/visitor/directions