NOOR: Illuminating Oneness Through Music

What this is

Noor — the word for divine light, shared across traditions, languages, and cultures — is the guiding spirit of this evening. In the season of Diwali, when light is celebrated as the triumph of knowledge over ignorance, Raga Sangeet Creative Inc. invites you to experience that light through the ancient and living art of Hindustani classical music.

What to Expect

This is an evening of Hindustani classical music — raga, rhythm, and poetry performed in the North Indian tradition — in the intimate setting of the Glorya Kaufman Community Center at the Wende Museum. The evening opens with a community reception, followed by a 75-minute performance.

6:00 PM — Reception with Indian festive snacks and chai
7:00 PM — Performance

Artists

Samarth Nagarkar, Khyal vocal
Samarth Nagarkar is a virtuoso Hindustani classical vocalist known for performances of meditative artistry, technical finesse, and emotive depth. A voting member of The Recording Academy, he has performed at Lincoln Center, UCLA Schoenberg Hall, Central Park SummerStage, and NMACC Mumbai. Author of the acclaimed book Raga Sangeet, he is trained in the Gwalior, Agra, and Jaipur gharana traditions under Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar and Pandit Dinkar Kaikini, and is a former scholar of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata.
samarthnagarkar.com

Suhail Yusuf Khan, sarangi
Suhail Yusuf Khan is a sarangi player, singer, and composer trained under his grandfather Ustad Sabri Khan and uncle Ustad Kamal Sabri. With over 25 years of performance experience, he holds a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from Wesleyan University and is currently a Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellow at UC Santa Cruz.

Vivek Pandya, tabla
Vivek Pandya is a rising star in Indian classical percussion, trained for over fifteen years under Pt. Anindo Chatterjee. Known for exceptional clarity and technical command, he has performed at Lincoln Center and major venues across the US.

Tanpura ensemble TBA

Admission
Free and open to the public. RSVP helps us plan — register here to reserve your spot.

About Raga Sangeet Creative Inc.
Raga Sangeet Creative Inc. is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and reimagining Indian classical music as a living art form, building inclusive communities through authentic performance, cultural exchange, and education.

This performance is made possible in part by the City of Culver City and its Cultural Affairs Commission, with support from Sony Pictures Entertainment and Culver City Arts Foundation.