Spring Colors of Raga live @ParkTheaterHudson

Mezmerizing and Uplifting North Indian Classical music.

Set 1 - Jugalbandhi

Eric Fraser - Bansuri

Vinay Desai - Santoor

Ehren Hanson - tabla

Set 2 - Sitar Solo

Abhik Mukherjee - Sitar

Ehren Hanson - Tabla

ERIC FRASER (bansuri)

Eric Fraser's training in Indian classical music on the bansuri flute occurred in the Guru-Sishya Parampara tradition, meaning that he received training in Indian classical music while living with his teacher (Guru - late Pandit Gopal Roy), in Kolkata, India. Eric has received extensive taleem (oral teachings) and his flute playing conveys a purity of tone, authenticity and tradition. The "sur" (tone and tune) of Eric's flute lineage has a unique sound in the landscape of Indian music, telling the story of an old world Kolkata vibe through a gayaki ang or "singing style" of bansuri flute.
Eric is also a multi-instrumentalist, composer and recording artist.  Eric's original music expresses the contours of a true cross cultural blending of Indian classical music, psychedelic long form instrumental music, and indie songwriting. He is a Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC) and a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist (LCAT). Eric is a co-founder of the Brooklyn Raga Massive and a Fulbright Senior Research Scholar for Indian classical music. Eric is the founder and director of Sound and Nature, a licensed mental health practice in Hudson, NY

ABHIK MUKHERJEE (sitar)

Abhik Mukherjee is a Kolkata-born sitar player of the Etawah gharana. He was initiated to sitar at the age of six by his father and has since taken talim from Pandit Arvind Parikh and Pandit Kashinath Mukherjee, th selves disciples of the legendary Ustad Vilayat Khan. Abhik's first public performance was at the age of nine at the Governor's House, Kolkata. He has since performed in nine countries on four continents. Some memorable concerts include performances for the inauguration of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial (Washington D.C.); at the Indian Habitat Center (Delhi); on Doordarshan (Kolkata); and a summer tour of Italy, Germany, and Switzerland. Abhik is a gold-medalist from Rabindra Bharti University in Kolkata, where he received a master's in musicology. Abhik currently lives in New York City and is a founding member of Brooklyn Raga Massive, an Indian classical music artists' collective. 

EHREN HANSON (tabla)

Ehren Hanson is a professional NYC based tabla player. He began learning tabla at age 15 and in 2000, he became a disciple of legendary tabla maestro Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, with whom he has been a dedicated disciple ever since. His early training was from Misha Masud, and he has had the fortune of also receiving taleem from Ray Spiegel of Panjab gharana. Ehren performs classical Indian music as a soloist and accompanist in NY and around the world. He has the fortune of accompanying maestros including the late Pandit Ramesh Mishra, late Pandit Subrata Ryan Chowdhury, Steve Gorn, and others. He has also collaborated on experimental and creative projects with West African giant Noura Mint Seymali, Cuban legend Bobby Carcasess, Roman Diaz, the American Symphony Orchestra, and many others. He is the co-host of the Brooklyn Court - a music series featuring touring and local artists in an intimate setting, reminiscent of the royal courts of Indian history. Ehren is also the founder of Viewcy.com, and an amateur chef.

Vinay Desai-Santoor

Vinay is a direct disciple of the world renowned Santoor Maestro Padma Vibhusan Pandit Shivkumar Sharmaji. Initially, Vinay received knowledge in vocal/harmonium/tabla from Shafiq Rahman in his teens. After completing his college in Delaware, Vinay sought out to learn Santoor in India. In 2011, Pandit Shivkumar Sharmaji guided Vinay to begin his training under Takahiro Arai and Kunal Gunjal before being accepted by Panditji himself. Vinay regularly performs throughout USA, including Hawaii, Argentina, Canada, The Bahamas, Australia, and India and has played for some of the most prestigious festivals around the world. He is known for his meditative and dynamic musical phrases. His devotion to the purity and the depth of Shivkumar Sharma's style comes forth in performance. Vinay continues to spread his Guru’s work not only through performances, but also teaching and lecturing at different places. Vinay is known for his superlative melodic improvisations and sharp sense of rhythm.