Arya Sitar Concerto (Tour)

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Conducted by Harish Shankar, the Orchestra and Chorus of Opera North join forces for this wide-ranging and powerful concert.

At its heart is a newly commissioned concerto from composer and sitar virtuoso Jasdeep Singh Degun, in which the complex rhythms and gorgeous melodies of Indian classical raag strike up conversations with the orchestra, as the sitar by turns draws in, creates quickfire exchange with and finally comes harmoniously together with the orchestra.

The concerto is paired with the full force of the Chorus of Opera North, whose programme includes the delicately beautiful Humming Chorus from Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Purcell’s exquisite Dido’s Lament, extracts from La traviata and The Magic Flute, and concludes with Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music.

“A sophisticated composer… tunes that seemed to grab you like an undertow, leaving you no choice but to surrender to the music and be carried out to sea”
— Songlines Magazine
“Such a pleasure hearing and seeing him play… always so exciting to witness the emergence of brilliant new artistic voices” — Nitin Sawhney