Anoushka Shankar in concert
Image: Anoushka Shankar. Image: supplied
Securing a performance by sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar has been something of a coup for the Sydney Festival.
Performing at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Shankar returns to Sydney for the first time since her sell out shows here in 2018.
Born into musical royalty, Shankar is the daughter of sitar maestro Ravi Shankar and sister to Norah Jones, one of the great voices of our time and with whom she often performs and records.
Shankar started studying sitar at the age of eight and gave her first pubic performance at age 13 when she accompanied her father at his 75th birthday concert in New Delhi.
By the early 2000s she was performing between 50 and 60 concerts a year including the role as a featured musician at the Concert for George, the musical tribute to the late George Harrison.
Shankar is also an enthusiastic collaborator having performed or recorded with many including Herbie Hancock, Philip Glass, Patti Smith and Charlotte Gainsbourg.
For her Sydney show Shankar will be drawing material from her new EP Chapter 1: Forever, For Now and previous releases.
Anoushka Shankar will be leading a five-piece band who are all renown soloists in their own rights. Shankar is also on the bill for the Brett Whiteley Studio Sessions on January 13, and will appear at Symphony Under the Stars at Parramatta on January 20.
