Darbar Festival 19-22 September 2013

125 days and 22 hours until Darbar Festival 2012...

I welcome you to the 8th annual Darbar Festival back at Southbank Centre after last year’s sell out success.

For regular festival goers we’ve got a great line up which won’t disappoint and for those who’ve never been before, come along and discover the finest Indian classical music festival in the world! Sounds like a grand statement - but what makes our festival so special? We’re the only festival that bring together India’s two traditions - Hindustani (north Indian) and Carnatic (south Indian).

“The Darbar organisers do all the legwork and do the research, hand pick the musicians and put them on our doorstep – it really doesn’t get better than that” BBC Radio 3

So, come and enjoy free family foyer events; mingle with musicians at CD signing sessions; treat yourselves with a purchase from the Darbar Bazaar, a specially selected range of stunning Indian scarves, jewelry, saris and miniature paintings. New this year is my Artistic Director’s Selection of CDs that will only be sold during the Festival.

“What I love about Darbar is you feel you are getting the best and experiencing it with cognoscenti. There’s something magical going on that you might never understand, but is a treat to be part of. It is relaxed and never intimidating” Simon Broughton, Songlines

For those of you wanting to experience how concerts would have been originally presented in darbars (royal courts), come along to our new Darbar Unplugged concerts. Hungry to learn more about this fascinating genre? Then sign up to our Indian Classical Music Appreciation Course.

To complete your enjoyment, don’t miss out on the Roti Chai Street Kitchen ‘pop-up’ restaurant that brings you an inspired menu created just for the Darbar Festival. And don’t forget if you want a break from it all, take a deep breath, stretch your limbs and relax your mind with our Yogabliss sessions.

Come and join us for an experience of a lifetime.

Sandeep Virdee, Artistic Director

Download the Darbar Festival 2013 PDF Brochure

Darbar Festival at Southbank Centre

View festival at a glance

Indian Classical Music Course

Southbank Centre
Thu 12 Sept 13 - 7.30pm

Run by award-winning broadcaster, journalist, novelist and critic Jameela Siddiqi, this course is suitable for beginners and aims to demystify the traditions and practices of Indian classical music. More Info…

Transposed Rhythm and the Saraswati Veena

Southbank Centre
Thu 19 Sept 13 - 6.30pm

The eighth annual Darbar Festival opens with a double bill concert of drums, and features one of India’s oldest instruments, the saraswati veena, named after the Hindu Goddess of Arts. More Info…

Tribute to Pandit Ravi Shankar Ji

Southbank Centre
Fri 20 Sept 13 - 12.45pm

In conversation: Find out more about the life and times of this great Indian Classical music maestro in this talk with Oliver Craske, who collaborated with Shankar on his autobiography Raga Mala, and Simon Broughton, editor of Songlines. More Info…

Great Improvisational Expectations

Southbank Centre
Fri 20 Sept 13 - 2.30pm

The trendsetter Bhattacharya presents afternoon ragas through his virtuosity. He doesn’t believe in the difference between classical music from the East and West, but sees it instead as simply universal. More Info…

Yogabliss by Kanwal Ahluwalia

Southbank Centre
Fri 20 Sept 13 - 3.00pm

Back by popular demand are our 60 minute yoga classes. There are three sessions to choose from Friday, Saturday and Sunday or why not come to all of them. Come along to stretch, bend, twist and still your mind in these fun, dynamic classes More Info…

Colours of Dhrupad and the Majestic Sarod

Southbank Centre
Fri 20 Sept 13 - 6.30pm

A rare concert devoted to the art of Dhrupad vocal and the sarod. The programme includes a performance from the celebrated sarod maestro and composer Ustad Wajahat Khan, who performs ragas in his Imdadkhani gharana style. More Info…

Glorious Morning: Ragas Unwrapped

Southbank Centre
Sat 21 Sept 13 - 10am

after young virtuoso of the Agra and Gwalior Gharanas. In her debut UK concert, she presents these morning ragas in her inimitable style which savours their expressive implications of the words More Info…

The Betrayal of the Saraswati Veena

Southbank Centre
Sat 21 Sept 13 - 12.45pm

In conversation: Award-winning musician and composer Jayanthi discusses the challenges of performing the Saraswati veena in the Carnatic tradition and her experiences as a woman in the maledominated, Indian classical music tradition. More Info…

Enchanting Afternoon Ragas on 100 Strings

Southbank Centre
Sat 21 Sept 13 - 2.30pm

Harjinderpal Singh Matharu performs mesmerising ragas on the santoor, an ancient string instrument that produces a beautiful trance-like sound, which Sufi mystics use as an accompanying instrument in their divine music. More Info…

Iconic Sitar to Mesmerising Carnatic Ragas

Southbank Centre
Sat 21 Sept 2013 - 6.30pm

Enjoy the UK-debut of sitar player Anupama Bhagwat, accompanied by Gurdain Rayatt, the UK’s rising star of tabla. They are joined by Sudha Ragunathan, the most eminent singer in the South Indian Classical Carnatic tradition. More Info…

Morning Ragas: Sitar on Fire

Southbank Centre
Sun 22 Sept 2013 - 10am

Sitar phenomenon Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee returns to London after an absence of six years. His tremendous control, love for the raga and bullet-speed virtuosic ability produces unforgettable performances. More Info…

Where Are The Women?

Southbank Centre
Sun 22 Sept 13 - 12.45pm

In conversation: One of India’s most experienced Carnatic vocalists Sudha Ragunathan talks vividly about her life as a female musician and explains the role of women in Indian classical music. More Info…

Limitless Tabla, Punjab Style

Southbank Centre
Sun 22 Sept 13 - 2.30pm

A long-awaited performance of solo tabla music, highlighting the amazing versatility of this instrument in the hands of India’s great intellectual tabla maestro, Yogesh Samsi. More Info…

Rudra Veena to Magnificent Khayal

Southbank Centre
Sun 22 Sept 13 - 6.00pm

The Darbar Festival is proud to present Ustad Baha’uddin Dagar, one of a handful of the world’s rudra veena players, who returns to the festival after his sublime concert in 2006. Panshikar presents evening ragas from Jaipur Atruli Gharana More Info…

Latecomers

Latecomers will not be allowed into the concert until a suitable time during the performance. This could be at the end of the alaap, jor, jhalla or simply an appropriate time during the concert.

Festival Pass

The Darbar Festival Pass costs £135 and gives you access to all the Darbar events in the Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, plus three ‘in conversation’ events. The Pass is the cheapest way to enjoy all these Darbar events.

There is only a limited number of Festival Passes available. You cannot book them online - please call 0844 847 9910 between 9am and 8pm daily to book.

Please note, the only events that are not included in the Festival Pass are Darbar Unplugged, the Yoga sessions and the Classical Music Course. These events require separate tickets.