Rahul Sharma on carrying forward Pandit Shivkumar Sharma’s legacy

Growing up musician Rahul Sharma saw his father Pandit Shivkumar Sharma convert the santoor from a littleknown instrument into an integral part of Indian classical music Rahul is taking the legacy forward with his international collaborations The santoor virtuoso will perform at the October 11 fundraiser for the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2026 He will present Healing Harmonies a concert that blends Indian roots with global contemporary sounds Ahead of the concert he talks to midday about finding a new voice for the instrument and why music must innovate with timeExcerpts from the interviewThe curtainraiser of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2026 is being described as a fusion of healing harmonies How did you conceptualise the idea of blending classical music with global contemporary soundsItrsquos a pleasure performing for the Kala Ghoda curtainraiser Just like evolving art one has to preserve create and innovate traditional classical music while experimenting at the same time Whenever I heard artistes like Vangelis Pink Floyd or newage music I always felt that the 100stringed santoor could be part of both the worlds traditional and modern That sparked the urge to collaborate and compose my music in such a manner that it appealed to a generation of listenersRahul Sharma will present the Healing Harmonies at the curtainraiser on October 11 Teaming up with from left Avinash Chandrachud on the keyboard Vinayak Pol on drums Amit Gadgil on bass and Ojas Adhiya on the tabla the musicians will present an amalgamation of Indian classical fusion and jazz musicThe proceeds from your concert will support the preservation of the Kala Ghoda Art District How do you see music contributing to heritage conservationLike art music has always thrived on a rich patronage from society visionary artistes who feel pride in taking our arts and culture around the globe As an Indian classical musician I represent India each time Irsquom performing in the prestigious concert halls such as the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC the Esplanade in Singapore or the Barbican in LondonHow has working across genres and borders influenced the way you present the santoor todayThe santoor from being a littleknown Kashmiri folk instrument was introduced into Indian classical music by my late father and guru Padma Vibhushan Pandit Shivkumar Sharma Today it is popular through my collaborations and albums like The Confluence with pianist Richard Clayderman Namaste India with the popular saxophonist Kenny G and Tree of Tranquility with the pioneer of electronica and Grammy winner Deep Forest Recently the santoor entered the symphonic world with Santoor Symphony which I composed and led for the Cape Town Philharmonic OrchestraWith over 70 albums to your credit your journey has been rich and expansive How do you balance the responsibility of carrying forward your fatherrsquos legacy while also carving out your own voiceLegacies survive if a student takes the most from his guru and diversifies in a way that the music retains the traditional aspects yet has something new to offer Any music festival today in the world is incomplete without the santoor Just like Irsquom taking my fatherrsquos legacy ahead hopefully in the future my son Abhinav will do tooIn your words music has the power to ldquoheal inspire and uniterdquo Can you share a personal moment where you experienced thisWhen I was heading to Dubai once a doctor introduced himself to me and said that he has played my album Confluence at least a thousand times to his patients who were recovering from various surgeries and illnesses He said it helped the healing process Music has the power to heal soothe and with the gentle sounds of the santoor one can expect stress and anxiety to reduce