The Art of Sitar: A House Concert in the Hindustani Tradition
Terra Linda, San Rafael
Sun, November 1, at 3:00 PM, PST
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Capacity
- 15 of 25 spots still available
- Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks provided
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Wheelchair access
- Not wheelchair accessible
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- Some stairs may be present in the space
This is a private groupmuse.
A live, in-person performance in an intimate setting, only open to people whom the host invites.
Hosts
We're delighted to present an intimate afternoon of Hindustani classical music on sitar, tabla and tanpura, featuring Bay Area sitarist Will Marsh, William Rossel on tabla, and Joyce West on tanpura.
This concert is hosted in a beautiful Marin home with lots of natural light and a warm atrium.
The centerpiece of the afternoon is Raag Bhimpalasi, one of the best-loved ragas of the Hindustani tradition, and one traditionally performed in the afternoon. Its mood is tender and full of longing. It is the perfect raga for the fall season, as its optimal time of performance is alongside the fading daylight of the late afternoon.
Check out these video clips for an idea of what to expect: https://www.instagram.com/marshstrings?obrf=NXNmNXZvcXl3aGNm
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
-WILL MARSH (sitar): learn more at www.willmarshmusic.com
Will is a global sitarist and guitarist who has been performing around the world for over two decades. His journey runs from small-town northern Michigan to performing Hindustani sitar in Kolkata.
Will's roots are in jazz and Western classical music. He studied as a guitar major at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, then went on to CalArts, where he immersed himself in Hindustani classical music and earned an MFA in World Music. His gurus include Ustad Aashish Khan (eldest son of Ali Akbar Khan), Roshan Bhartiya, Tushar Bhatia and Shakir Khan. He travels to India every year to perform and study with master musicians.
Will has worked with Grammy-winning musicians and producers and has been featured on national TV. Grammy-nominated musician Jai Uttal says Will "delicately surfs the edge between east and west," and producer Ben Leinbach describes his music as "like Ravi Shankar jamming with the Buena Vista Social Club!" His latest album, The Integration, brings together original compositions for sitar, guitar, cello, tabla and saxophone. Will has over 15 years experience teaching sitar to students in the Bay Area and worldwide.
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WILLIAM ROSSEL (tabla): learn more at https://www.williamrossel.com
William has studied tabla with Padma Shri Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri at the Ali Akbar College of Music since 2006, and earned an MFA in North Indian Classical Music Performance from CalArts in 2010.
He has performed with Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, Alam Khan, Arjun Verma and Manik Khan at venues including the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, the Asian Art Museum, and Harbourfront Centre in Toronto.
William teaches at the Ali Akbar College of Music, directs the Indian Music Ensemble at Yuba College, and lectures in World Music at California College of the Arts. He also created Tihai Pro, an app for calculating rhythmic patterns in North Indian music. He lives and teaches in San Anselmo.
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JOYCE WEST (tanpura):
Joyce is a lifelong musician who has studied piano, violin, clarinet and ukulele since childhood. She discovered Hindustani music in 2025 and fell into a grand love affair with it.
She is also a certified mindfulness meditation teacher, trained in the tradition of Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach, and brings that same quality of presence to the music. On tanpura, she holds the steady drone that every note of the raga is heard against.
Wine and Indian-themed tea (chai and an herbal tea) will be served at the concert.
What's the music?
Raag Bhimpalasi: Alap and Jor- A raag of the afternoon, tender and full of longing. It unfolds slowly over the tanpura drone, one note at a time, with no fixed rhythm, lingering on the soft, bittersweet notes that give Bhimpalasi its yearning character. To Will, a raag is a deity that comes to life through sound.
Raag Bhimpalasi: Gat with Tabla - The tabla enters and a composition is set within a rhythmic cycle. From there, sitar and tabla improvise, trade phrases and race through the cycle together, carrying Bhimpalasi's longing from lyrical and meditative to fast and joyful. It's a conversation that will never be played the same way twice.
Closing Piece - To be announced. Will chooses the final piece to fit the mood of the room.
Where does this music come from?
Historically, Hindustani music was the chamber music of the Mughal courts. It was performed for small circles of listeners in rooms much like this one. Before the performance, Will will give a short demonstration of how a raag unfolds and how the tabla's rhythmic cycles work, so first-time listeners know exactly what to listen for. Longtime fans are just as welcome.
Location
Exact address sent to approved attendees via email.
This is a private groupmuse.
A live, in-person performance in an intimate setting, only open to people whom the host invites.
Hosts
Attendees
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