Raga Play: Snehesh Nag
Ancient Progressive Poetry. Modern Progressive Music.
Known for his soulful and dynamic playing, Snehesh — accompanied by Shrivatsa Koulgi on tabla — presents an evening of Hindustani raga music featuring both a “serious” and a “light” raga. These colloquial terms refer, respectively, to a raga that adheres closely to classical structure and evokes a distinct emotional mood, and to one that is freer in spirit, often weaving together shades of multiple ragas and folk melodies.
Together, they invite the audience to experience and reflect on contrasting emotional worlds.
Artist Bios:
Snehesh Nag is a sitarist, composer, and educator exploring Hindustani classical and contemporary cross-genre music. His work seeks to carry forward the rich tradition of Indian classical music, while also discovering spaces that allow the development of new sounds and structures through the blending of different musical cultures. Trained under his father Pandit Sugato Nag and the legendary sarod maestro Pandit Buddhadev Dasgupta, Snehesh performs a distinctive style drawing primarily from the Senia Shahjahanpur and Enayatkhani gharanas. His style strives to capture a dynamic balance between gayaki baaj — the art of emulating the nuances and expressiveness of the human voice — and tantrakari, characterized by intricate rhythmic and percussive patterns. Known for his versatility, dynamism, and soulful expression, he has collaborated with artists ranging from tabla legend Pandit Anindo Chatterjee to
the Princeton Symphony, Grammy-winning musicians Cathy Fink and Christylez Bacon, and violinist William Harvey. A recipient of the Acharya Allauddin Khan Memorial Award, he has
toured extensively across the US, Australia, and Canada. Snehesh holds a Master’s in Music Technology from Georgia Tech and was Artist-in-Residence at Strathmore (2023–24).
Shrivatsa Koulgi, born into a musical family, began learning tabla at the age of six. He trained under the late Pt. Veeranna Kaamkar of Hubli and the late Pt. Maruti V. Kurdekar of Goa, and continues his advanced training under Pt. Ravindra Yavagal in Bengaluru. A postgraduate in Computer Science yet a full-time musician, he founded Rhythm and Beyond…, a tabla school with students across India and abroad. Known for his innovative approach, Shrivatsa explores rare taals such as Sardha Roopak (10.5beats), Char Taal Ki Sawari (11 beats), and Pancham Sawari (15 beats), and composes within the intricate Sankeerna Jati (nine syllables per beat). His albums Vindhya: Epitome of Rhythm and Eka Vimshati: A Triplet of Seven blend Hindustani, Carnatic, and Jazz influences. An “A” grade artist of All India Radio and recipient of the Pt. Nikhil Ghosh Memorial Award (NCPA), Shrivatsa has performed at major festivals across India, accompanying stalwarts such as Dr. N. Rajam, Pt. Jayateerth Mevundi, and Vidushi Bharathi Prathap.
Accompanied by Shrivatsa Koulgi on tabla
A BIC Elsewhere Event
Curated by Culturegrind
Date and Time:
20th Nov 2025
Thursday, 07:00 PM – 08:15 PM
Venue:
IME Museum,
Brigade Millennium Avenue,
JP Nagar 7th phase,
Bengaluru – 560078
Registration form:
Click here