There are performances where music is heard, and there are performances where music becomes a world of its own.
At the 75th Festival de Granada, El Sueño del Sitar — The Dream of the Sitar — created precisely such a world. It brought together Indian classical music, the Western orchestral tradition, Flamenco and Bharatanatyam dance, and a tribute to Granada’s Manuel de Falla in his 150th anniversary year, all embraced by a sound world vibrating with the enduring legacy of the legendary Ravi Shankar.
For me, this performance represented much more than bringing different musical traditions onto the same stage. It was an opportunity to explore what becomes possible when different artistic languages truly listen to one another, exactly as Ravi Shankar envisaged.
A Dream Inspired by Ravi Shankar
Raviji transformed the way audiences around the world experienced music. His collaborations showed that musical traditions do not have to exist in isolation. They can meet, converse and create something new while retaining their own identity.
El Sueño del Sitar continues that spirit.
At its heart was the expressive voice of the sitar, performed by Raviji’s senior disciple Shubhendra Rao, surrounded by an extraordinary ensemble of Indian and Western musicians. Sitar, Indian cello, shehnai, bansuri, tabla, mridangam, ghatham, vocals and Indian violin came together with the Orquesta Ciudad de Granada.
For me, the most important word is not fusion.
It is dialogue.
When Two Musical Worlds Listen
Indian and Western classical music have developed through very different systems, traditions and approaches to performance. Yet beneath those differences is something universal: listening.
As a conductor, I am interested in creating the conditions for musicians to truly respond to one another, rather than simply playing alongside one another.
Rhythm, silence, phrasing, texture and movement become shared points of communication.
The orchestra becomes part of a larger musical landscape, where each tradition retains its character while contributing to a common artistic vision.
That is when cultural collaboration becomes more than fusion.
It becomes dialogue.
When Music Becomes Movement
The performance also reminded me that music does not exist in isolation.
Under the creative guidance of Raviji’s wife, Sukanya Shankar, the direction of the wonderful Ignacio García and the choreography of acclaimed Bharatanatyam dancer Rama Vaidyanathan, movement became another musical language. The extraordinary collaboration of Bharatanatyam with Flamenco and Contemporary dance was made possible by the wonderful dancer and choreographer Mónica de la Fuente, alongside flamenco stars Lucía Campillo, and José Manuel Benítez from the Spanish National Ballet.
The Bharatanatyam dancers — Nilava Sen, Shubhamani Chandrashekar and Reshika Sivakumar — brought rhythm, expression and storytelling into the performance. Their movement added another dimension to the music, allowing the audience not only to hear the traditions on stage, but to see them.
Bharatanatyam carries centuries of storytelling through gesture, rhythm and expression. Placed alongside Ravi Shankar’s music, Flamenco dance and a Western orchestra, it created a multidimensional artistic experience.
All music and dance are ultimately one embodied human experience. One can trace the seeds of Flamenco back to India, and the migration from Northwest India to Andalusia between the 9th and 14th Centuries. Many people are not aware of this connection, however in the performance this was made spine-tinglingly clear in the dialogue between flamenco dance and the North Indian drum, the Tabla. No words were necessary; a deep and ancient connection was revealed before our eyes in the most visceral way imaginable.
Music, dance, storytelling and silence became part of the same conversation.
The Art of Conducting Across Cultures
A performance like this asks something different of a conductor.
Conducting is often associated with precision: tempo, coordination, balance and ensemble. These are vital, but cross-cultural collaboration demands another kind of attention.
It requires listening to a bigger musical landscape.
It means understanding how different musicians experience rhythm, phrasing and musical time. It means knowing when to lead, when to shape, and when to step back and see what unfolds when everyone is connected through deep listening.
For me, conducting is not about control – it’s all about connection.
My work has long explored the space between Western orchestral traditions and Indian classical music. I believe meaningful collaboration begins with respect, curiosity and deep listening.
El Sueño del Sitar gave that philosophy a powerful expression.
Tradition and Possibility
The 75th Festival de Granada provided a remarkable setting for this encounter.
Within the historic atmosphere of Granada, a magical place where traditions have been meeting creatively for centuries, Indian and Western traditions came together not to erase their differences, but to discover what those differences could make possible.
That distinction matters.
The future of cultural collaboration does not depend on making every tradition sound the same. It depends on creating spaces where different voices can remain distinct while finding meaningful ways to speak together.
The Dream Continues
For me, El Sueño del Sitar was ultimately a celebration of connection.
Ravi Shankar’s legacy provided the inspiration. The sitar provided a central voice. The Indian ensemble and Orquesta Ciudad de Granada created the musical dialogue. Bharatanatyam and Flamenco transformed that dialogue into movement. The music of Manuel de Falla provided context – which I will explore in a separate blog.
My role was to help bring these diverse elements together while allowing each voice to remain itself.
That is the kind of collaboration I believe in.
Music can cross borders without losing its identity. Tradition can remain alive while evolving. And sometimes the most powerful artistic experiences happen when we stop asking which tradition should lead, and discover what becomes possible when they truly listen to each other.
East meets West. Tradition meets innovation. And music becomes a language shared by all.