Sitar Maestro Purbayan Chatterjee gears up for ‘The Sitar Stories’ at NMACC’s Grand Theatre

Mumbai, 16^th December 2025: Sitar virtuoso and President of India Awardee, Purbayan Chatterjee, is set to mesmerize Mumbai with the debut of his ambitious new musical series, ‘The Sitar Stories’, at the prestigious Jio World Centre’s NMACC Grand Theatre on Saturday, January 3, 2026, at 7:30 PM.

‘The Sitar Stories’ is designed as a series of performances that celebrate the rich tapestry of Indian Classical Music by weaving it into a unique, global contemporary soundscape.

For this inaugural chapter at the NMACC Grand Theatre, Chatterjee has curated an extraordinary global ensemble. The lineup features the groundbreaking fusion of talents, including Mark Lettieri, the five-time GRAMMY Award-winning guitarist and core member of the acclaimed American jazz-funk collective, Snarky Puppy. Providing the rhythmic foundation is India’s own maestro, Pandit Yogesh Samsi, one of the nation’s foremost tabla players. The ensemble is further enriched by the presence of Varijashree Venugopal, the GRAMMY-nominated vocalist and flautist from Bengaluru, and Guy Bernfeld, the GRAMMY-nominated bassist and producer hailing from Los Angeles. Completing this international collective is Stephen Devassy, a virtuoso keyboardist, alongside other accompanying artists.

The NMACC performance arrives at a time when the boundaries between classical and mainstream music are continuously blurring. Purbayan Chatterjee, known for his ability to traverse genres, will also share his perspective on the evolving music landscape, including his recent interactions and collaboration with the current music legends, such as Arijit Singh, and how they are collectively shaping the future of Indian sound.

“This is not just a concert; it’s a conversation between traditions and continents”, says Purbayan Chatterjee. “The sitar has always been a versatile instrument, capable of speaking the language of the Raga and also adapting to global soundscapes. Sharing the stage with virtuosos like Mark Lettieri, Yogesh Samsi, and Varijashree at a platform as magnificent as the NMACC is a realization of a lifelong dream to bring Indian music to global stages”.

Together, this ensemble will deliver an unforgettable evening of collaboration, virtuosity, and sonic storytelling, bridging genres, generations, and geographies in a vibrant fusion of classical purity and the pulse of world music.