L. Shankar​ at Schimmel Center

Schimmel Center​ presents a rare New York appearance by virtuoso violinist and vocalist ​L. Shankar​ (aka: L. Shenkar) on ​Sat., Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m. One of India's finest violinists in the Carnatic tradition, he is best remembered internationally for his performances in the 1970s with the Indo-jazz fusion group Shakti which he co-founded with John McLaughlin and Zakir Hussain. He is renowned for his deeply soulful performances of Indian classical music, and plays a 10-string double violin that was made especially for him, covering the range of an orchestra’s string section from violin to double bass.

The performance, featuring compositions of L. Shankar, improvisations, kritis (light classical songs), ragamalika (garland of ragas), folk songs, and drum duets, unites the Northern (Hindustani) and Southern (Carnatic) traditions of Indian classical music. L. Shankar is joined by​ tabla​ player Abhijit Banerjee​, representing the Hindustani musical tradition, and percussionist ​Chris Garcia​, who plays a variety of instruments, including the ​ghatam​ (clay pot) and ​kanjira​ (small frame drum), and represents the Carnatic musical tradition.

Tickets are available at www.schimmelcenter.org, by calling 212-346-1715 or by visiting the box office located at 3 Spruce Street. The Schimmel Center box office is open Tuesdays through Saturday from Noon to 5:00 p.m. and three hours prior to performances.