Northshore Concert Band Welcomes Special Guest Artist Kalyan Pathak

Now in its 69th year, the Northshore Concert Band, a 100-member Chicago-area symphonic band known for its musical excellence and commitment to music education, will welcome special guest artist Kalyan Pathak onstage at the Pick-Staiger Concert Hall during their spring concert, Spirited Away. A master percussionist, Kalyan Pathak will perform the tabla for Indian American composer Reena Esmail’s new work Chamak.

The April 13th program, the third in their 2024/25 Season, begins with Claude T. Smith’s Eternal Father, Strong to Save, the official hymn of the United States Navy, featuring colorful interplay and variations on the well-known tune. A musical hosanna to Dr. Eric Wilson, Director of Bands at Baylor University, Paul Dooley’s triptych Canticles showcases the composer’s rhythmic vitality, lyrical melodies, and harmonic colors in a series of playful dances and a rejuvenating prayer for winds. Joe Hisaishi’s vibrant score to Spirited Away, the tale of a girl trapped in the spirit world, is transformed into a dazzling suite for winds.

Special guest solo artist Kalyan Pathak joins the NCB on tabla for Chamak, a new work by Indian American composer Reena Esmail. This work finds inspiration in the writing of Kabir and presents three movements based on traditional Hindustani ragas — a framework for improvisation and composition in Indian classical music. What makes the song unique is that it’s the first band piece based solely on Hindustani music.

In an NCB exclusive interview, Esmail says of Chamak:

"I hope this piece ignites a spark in two ways. I hope it is a reminder to follow that spark that lies within each of us. And more broadly, I hope that this piece sparks an interest in Indian classical music in the band world — these musical cultures have been separate for so many years, and I hope this piece sparks further connection between these two worlds."

The tabla is a pair of hand drums, a fundamental percussion instrument in North Indian music, consisting of a smaller, higher-pitched drum (dayan) and a larger, lower-pitched drum (bayan or duggi). They are played with the fingers and palms.

An expert tabla player who has played since childhood, Kalyan Pathak is among the most sought-after tabla, drum set, and multi-ethnic percussionists in the United States. With a career spanning diverse genres and international stages, Pathak's musical journey is a testament to his unparalleled talent and versatility.

Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune lauds Pathak for his “fleet finger virtuosity”, and the music group Tributosauraus, considered one of Chicago’s best-kept secrets by Chicago Tribune’s Christopher Borrelli, says about Pathak:

"Kalyan Pathak brings a level of virtuosity to his instruments that makes each show sing at the percussion chair, but he brings so much more than that. [T]he energy and love for the process of music making that he brings to each show that he is a part of is infectious - both to the audience and the performers on stage."

Read the two-part NCB exclusive interview with this master percussionist here.

Yasuhide Ito’s stirring symphonic poem Gloriosa concludes the program, evoking the fervent prayers and suffering of early Christians in Japan with a fusion of Gregorian chant and Japanese folk music.

The concert begins at 3:00 P.M. on April 13, 2025, at Northwestern University’s Pick-Staiger Concert Hall in Evanston.

Individual concert tickets are $25 for Adults, $20 for Seniors, and $10 for Students & Children. Visit the Northshore Concert Band website to purchase tickets through Eventbrite. All tickets are general admission. Tickets will be available at the venue box office one hour before the program begins.

For program and ticket information, visit northshoreband.org.

To view the Northshore Concert Band Spirited Away concert program book, visit https://bit.ly/41RxiGD