Celebrating Our HeART-filled Heritage: Ragas in Conversation

Indian classical luminaries Arjun K. Verma, Anirudh Bharadwaj, and Rohan Krishnamurthy come together in a new collaboration of Carnatic and Hindustani traditions. As Bay Area-based ambassadors of Indian music, the trio represents ancient Indian lineages at the frontiers of contemporary experimentation.  

Performer Bios

Dr. Rohan Krishnamurthy is an Indian-American percussionist, composer, educator, and one of the leading voices of Indian classical and cross-genre music in the South Asian diaspora. Acclaimed as a “musical ambassador” by The Times of India, he received mridangam training from the legendary maestro, Sriman. Guruvayur Dorai, in Chennai. Distinguished as a soloist, composer, and collaborator, Rohan performed with legendary Indian classical musicians and Grammy Award-winning global artists. 

Rohan leads The Alaya Project, an Indo-jazz-funk collective that has performed at prestigious jazz and global music festivals including SF Jazz, Joe’s Pub NYC, and Strathmore DC. The group’s recently released debut album has been praised by Jazziz Magazine, NPR, San Francisco Chronicle, and more. Rohan holds a Ph.D. in musicology from the Eastman School of Music and directs the RohanRhythm Percussion Studio with students from across the globe. Rohan is the recipient of international awards and grants, including commissions from the San Francisco Arts Commission, Zellerbach Foundation, and Goethe Institute (Germany). He has taught at renowned institutions, and his patented RohanRhythm drum tuning system is available worldwide.

Arjun K. Verma is an Indian-American sitarist and composer. Beginning with his father, Roop Verma, and continuing with the legendary Ali Akbar Khan and his son Alam Khan, Arjun’s meticulous training has imbued him with a rich musicality that encompasses both the profound majesty and the exhilaration of North Indian classical music. Hailed by the New York Times as a “fine sitarist,” Arjun shares the jewels of his cultural heritage in a manner that is fresh, modern, and relevant, while maintaining a high standard of traditional integrity.

Arjun has performed at international venues including the United Nations, the Fillmore, Prague Castle, and on the NBC TV network, collaborating with a diverse host of musicians including the London Symphony Orchestra, Swapan Chaudhuri, Alam Khan, Bob Weir (Grateful Dead), the St. Louis Symphony, and GRAMMY-winning pianist and arranger John Beasley. Arjun’s performance repertoire has stretched the limits of the sitar as an instrument, and his recording and composing work has applied Indian classical music effectively for TV, opera, and documentary film.

Arjun is the recipient of a Mosaic America commissioning grant (2020), a Creative Work Fund grant (2018—Haas Foundation), and a Shenson Fellowship (2007—San Francisco Foundation).

Anirudh Bharadwaj is a Carnatic flautist based in California. He is a student of Vidwan Delhi Sunderrajan and began his initial training under Srimati Akhila Krishnan and Sriman P.N. Krishnan. Anirudh has also received training in Hindustani classical music from renowned flute maestro Pandit Kailash Sharma of Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Delhi. Residing in the Bay Area, he passionately teaches Carnatic flute and vocal music to students across the United States, Europe, and India.