Over the past 25 years, Anoushka Shankar has blazed a unique and fascinating trail through the landscape of Hindustani classical and contemporary pop music. Daughter and protege of sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar -  the 'godfather of world music' - and sister of Norah Jones, Anoushka's work has long been praised for its stylistic experimentation, grounded always in her mastery of Hindustani classical sitar and the traditional raga form. Her exploratory artistic spirit has led to collaborations with an array of diverse artists, including Herbie Hancock, Patti Smith, Sting, Zubin Mehta, Jacob Collier, M.I.A., and Gorillaz.

In 2023, Shankar released the first in a  trilogy of mini-albums called Chapters, which she conceived as'three chapters, three geographies.'  Each release captures a distinctive sonic world, shaped by its specific location, emotional resonances, and collaborators. The first, Forever, for Now, was recorded at Berlin’s Funkhaus complex, with contributions from Prague Sounds alumni  Arooj Aftab (production) and Nils Frahm (piano), and charts a journey through trauma towards simple joy. Chapter II: How Dark It Is Before Dawn (recorded in California with British producer and composer Peter Raeburn), with its nocturnal atmosphere and moody drones,  conjours a meditative sonic healing space; and with Chapter III: We Return to Light, on which Shankar worked with composer and sarod player Alam Khan, the triptych's journey from pain to strength is complete.

'With thirteen Grammy nominations under her belt, Shankar is firmly established as the 21st century’s most innovative sitar player.'

Pitchfork

At Prague Sounds, Shankar will perform Chapters in an orchestral setting in which the three parts become a single work, which she describes as 'the culmination of a process.' This remarkable interpretation - relying on the endless possibilities of acoustic western instruments, without tabla or sarod - came about when the BBC commissioned conductor Robert Ames to reimagine Chapters for the London Contemporary Orchestra. The orchestral version was performed at last year's BBC Proms to great acclaim, and now the Prague Sounds audience has the chance to savour this singular work in a special collaboration between Ames, the Prague Symphony Orchestra, and, course, Shankar herself as soloist. It promises to be a fitting climax to the festival's 30th anniversary celebrations.

Line-up

Anoushka Shankar – sitar
Robert Ames – conductor

Prague Symphony Orchestra

Programme
Chapters