Bach in Bengal

Name: Bach in Bengal
Start: 2026-03-21T15:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-03-21T16:30:00-04:00
Location: Christ Church, Episcopal

Schedule

Sat Mar 21 2026 at 03:00 pm to 04:30 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Christ Church, Episcopal | Cooperstown, NY

Join the Fenimore Chamber Orchestra and Artistic Director Maciej Zoltowski for a groundbreaking musical journey where the architectural clarity of J.S. Bach and Claudio Monteverdi meets the expansive, disciplined framework of Indian classical raga.
This concert features an integrated artistic exchange with internationally renowned sitarist Arjun Verma and tabla virtuoso Naren Budhakar. Together, they explore the shared principles of form, rhythm, and expressive depth that connect these two distinct yet complementary musical worlds.
The Music: a bridge between East & West. Experience a program that challenges the limits of the chamber orchestra and the sitar, including:
• Variations on a Bach Bourrée: A unique "across-the-centuries" collaboration between J.S. Bach and Ali Akbar Khan (often called the "J.S. Bach of the East").
• Indian classical raga: A traditional, improvised duet on sitar and tabla, exploring "ragas" - melodic structures intended to evoke specific moods or rasas.
• Indian Baroque Suite: Composed by Arjun Verma, this suite weaves Indian ornamentation into a Fasch Lute Concerto and features a "garland of ragas" (ragamala) set against a Monteverdi ritornello.
🏛️ Honoring a Local Legacy: this performance is a homecoming for sitarist Arjun Verma. Growing up in Oneonta, NY, Arjun was trained by his father, the late Roop Verma, who spent over 40 years bringing the beauty of Indian classical music to Upstate New York. Arjun has since performed at the United Nations and collaborated with the London Symphony Orchestra, and we are thrilled to welcome him back to our local stage.
The Artists:
• Arjun K. Verma (sitar): hailed by the New York Times as a "fine sitarist," Arjun’s music is fresh, modern, and rooted in traditional integrity.
• Naren Budhakar (tabla): a disciple of the great masters, Naren has performed at prestigious venues worldwide, providing the intricate rhythmic cycles (talas) that drive this music to its exhilarating finish.
• Fenimore Chamber Orchestra: led by Maestro Maciej Żółtowski, the orchestra provides counterpoint and a "sonic canvas" for this cross-cultural dialogue.