Shanghai witnesses historic turnout for Indian music recital

A classical Indian music recital in Shanghai featuring Grammy-winning flautist Rakesh Chaurasia and renowned sitarist Purbayan Chatterjee drew a record-breaking audience. According to the Indian Embassy in Shanghai, it was the "largest ever" gathering for an Indian cultural performance in the city, highlighting India's growing soft power through music.
The event brought together Chinese citizens, diplomats, business leaders, and academics, underscoring the role of cultural exchange in fostering India-China relations. The Indian Embassy celebrated the occasion on social media, describing it as an unprecedented success: "Spring is in the air! Indian music conquers all boundaries! A full house audience, largest ever in Shanghai for an Indian cultural recital, listened with rapt attention to a superb rendition of classical Indian music by Maestros Purbayan Chatterjee and Rakesh Chaurasia."

The embassy also expressed gratitude to the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and co-sponsors Chaiti Foundation for supporting the event, adding, "And the best is yet to come. Jai Hind Jai Bharat."
Chaurasia, a child prodigy and nephew of flute maestro Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia, has won several prestigious awards, including the Indian Music Academy Award and the Aditya Birla Kalakiran Puraskar. In 2024, he secured two Grammy Awards for his collaborative album 'As We Speak'. Chatterjee, a sitar virtuoso, is known for blending Indian classical music with contemporary influences, making him a key figure in the global classical music scene.
A ten-member Indian cultural team, including Chatterjee and Chaurasia, is currently touring China to promote Indian classical music. They have performed in Beijing and Shanghai, with concerts held on 26 and 29 March.
Consul General Prateek Mathur shared a video of the Shanghai event, capturing the mesmerising performance. Chatterjee and Chaurasia were joined on stage by Bivakar Choudhury on the tabla, Debashish Adhikary on the harmonium, and Murali Ganesh on the mridangam.