March 16, the Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee will host a trio of world-famous musicians through the performance aptly named TISRA, which means “three.” The trio of musicians consists of Zakir Hussain, Debopriya Chatterjee and Sabir Khan.
WUD PAC is a committee made up of students from the University of Wisconsin, curating the Wisconsin Union Theater’s performing arts season, working a year or more in advance to schedule the performances. Students getting such a large say in these decisions is what makes WUD PAC such a unique college experience.
“Each of these musicians is just a master of their instrument … it’s such a special, rare thing to have them all together,” UW senior and WUD PAC Director Azura Tyabji said.
Indeed, even just a quick internet search of each of the individual performers will confirm their legendary repertoires.
Hussain boasts a long and varied discography and has received three of the four highest civilian awards the Republic of India can bestow — along with four Grammy Awards.
Chatterjee, and her sister — who is not part of this trio — are renowned as one of the best bansuri players in the world, known as the “flute sisters.”
Khan is a ninth-generation sarangi player and his music is featured in many films. Both Khan and Chatterjee are currently widely considered as some of the finest young musicians from India, and their skills serve to highlight and amplify Hussain’s experience and talent.
Of the trio, Khan is not the only performer to come from a long family tradition of music within the wider realm of Indian classical music. Each of these musicians has been honing their craft since a young age. That mastery and knowledge is not something that can be easily imitated — it comes across in how they play when as an individual performer and also when they are easily able to bring the performance together overall.
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“I think it’s such a gift, witnessing these people who have been playing their entire lives,” Tyabji said. “We’re expanding what that classical tradition means — it’s not just European. We have so much to learn from traditions all around the world.”
The trio is currently on a national tour — their stop in Madison is preceded by a stop in New Jersey and succeeded by more stops in Georgia and California. Each of these performances allow people to witness a side of South Asian music they may have never had exposure to.
The performance transports attendees somewhere completely different in the world, allowing them to experience a rich history and tradition of music.
This diversity in music and performers is something WUD PAC clearly stands for when looking at their past and future lineups, and Tyabji further endorsed that standard.
“WUD has always supported global artistry and always felt the importance of bringing international artists to Madison,” Tyabji said.
She hopes the performance will bring people together who haven’t been exposed to this type of classical music before.
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The set they will be performing is still pending, but Tyabji confirmed that no matter what the lineup turns out to be, the audience will not be disappointed.
Tyabji described the sense of calm she felt when experiencing the rhythms these instruments create. It’s a good reset, among the chaos we all experience in our day-to-day, to be reminded of such things. Though it may feel overwhelming, music and performances like these can renew the feeling that there is more out there than just tasks and noise — there is beauty and humanity too.
“You’ll hear the flute bringing you to this new, higher realm, balanced by the rhythm of the tabla,” Tyabji said. “Then the sarangi comes in and it almost feels like a voice — it’s that expressive.”
It is a performance that is, in a way, hundreds of years in the making. These musicians have crafted a piece of art rooted in tradition to bring to audiences in today’s world.
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Tyabji concluded with her hope that everyone in the theater would leave feeling more full and holding a greater appreciation for the music they might be exposed to for the very first time.
The performance will be held in Memorial Union’s Shannon Hall and will last 90 minutes, along with an intermission. The show will start at 7:30 p.m. One hour before the performance starts, there will be a cash bar in the Sunset Lounge at Memorial Union for audience members to socialize and get ready for the performance.
Tickets for University of Wisconsin students are as low as $8 with a limit of one ticket per student ID.
