Pioneer Works is thrilled to announce the 12th annual Ragas Live Festival, a signature NYC cultural highlight, to be held from October 14-15, 2023. Presenting 24 continuous hours of spiritual and transcendent music, the festival promises an unprecedented melding of raga maestros and international legends in ambient, minimalism, and new music genres, all on the Pioneer Works main stage.
This year’s eclectic performances will feature masters of the raga tradition such as Ramakrishnan Murthy and The Akkarai Sisters, as well as iconic figures from the worlds of ambient music, minimalism, and new music, including Vicky Chow, David Cossin & Mark Stewart of the Bang on a Can All-Stars, and Mind Maintenance - a collaboration between Joshua Abrahms and Chad Taylor.
With Terry Riley’s gracious endorsement, composer Amir ElSaffar will premiere a piece influenced by Riley’s groundbreaking "In C". The new work, titled "In E half-flat", will serve as the grand finale and features an ensemble of 12 musicians well-versed in the microtonal Maqam tradition of North Africa and the Middle-East.
A nod to the unique time cycle of ragas, where specific modes resonate at particular times of the day, the festival's 24-hour format reflects the rhythm and spirit of these classical modes. Attendees can expect a diverse range of performances, from a Georgian Polyphonic choir and Hindustani-influenced modular synth to mesmerizing sunset and sunrise acts by maestros of the sarod, santoor, sitar, and veena.
Mark your calendars for September 5th, when the full lineup and schedule will be unveiled.
For those unable to attend in person, WKCR - FM will broadcast all 24 hours of live performances, ensuring the festival’s rich sounds reach a global audience.
About Ragas Live Festival:
Initiated as an in-studio radio broadcast at Columbia University's WKCR in 2012, Ragas Live Festival quickly captivated a worldwide listening audience. Celebrating the Indian Classical tradition, the annual event soon became pivotal to what esteemed publications like the New York Times, New Yorker, and NPR have dubbed “The Raga Renaissance”. 2016 marked the festival’s migration to Pioneer Works for a live audience experience, where it has consistently enjoyed a fervent following.
This annual musical odyssey is presented in partnership with Brooklyn Raga Massive and the Society for Arts and Culture of South Asia.
Ragas Live Festival 2023 is grateful for the support of the Brooklyn Arts Council. The Brooklyn Arts Fund (DCLA) is sponsored, in part, by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department.
