Sounds of India: Resonance

Resonance: Ode to Call of the Valley brings together three of Indian classical music’s most expressive voices in an intimate trio performance. Santoor virtuoso Ninad Daithankar and bansuri exponent Saurabh Vartak are joined by accomplished tabla artist Saleel Tambe, creating a rich and evolving musical conversation rooted in the Hindustani tradition.

Ninad Daithankar plays the santoor—a hundred-stringed trapezoid instrument from Kashmir, struck with lightweight wooden mallets. A Citi–NCPA Scholar, he has performed extensively across India, Europe, and North America. Saurabh Vartak performs on the bansuri, the bamboo flute deeply associated with Lord Krishna. Based in Pune, he regularly performs alongside the legendary Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and runs his own academy dedicated to preserving and passing on this lineage.

In this trio setting, melody and rhythm unfold collaboratively within a chosen raga (melodic framework) and tala (rhythmic cycle). The santoor and bansuri weave and exchange melodic phrases while the tabla anchors, accents, and propels the music forward. As the performance develops, the interplay becomes increasingly layered and dynamic, culminating in a fluid three-way dialogue. The bell-like resonance of the santoor, the warm, breathy tone of the bansuri, and the rhythmic clarity of the tabla together create a soundscape that is both meditative and exhilarating.