Vidushi Pavana B. Achar with Veena
(PRINCETON, NJ) -- On Thursday, May 29, 2025, Princeton Makes, a Princeton-based artist cooperative, will host Rhythm and Hues, a musical and artistic collaborative event, in the Courtyard of the Princeton Shopping Center. The event will take place at 6:00pm.
The event will feature Vidushi Pavana B. Achar, who is a noted player of the veena, an ancient stringed instrument from the Indian sub-continent. She will be accompanied by two percussionists – Vignesh Prakash, a Senior at NJIT, and Sarvesh Premkumar, a Senior at JP Stevens High School, both of whom play traditional Indian percussion instruments. Inspired by the music they create, Princeton Makes’ artists will paint during the performance. Attendees are invited to enjoy the collaboration or bring in their own art materials and join in the fun.
Vidushi Pavana B. Achar is a born artist who founded Kalaspandana in Manipal, India where she has been mentoring music enthusiasts to play the veena for the past 30 years, and herself earning the musical title of Vidushi. Pavana leads Vipanchi – a veena ensemble that has performed extensively all over India in prestigious venues.
In addition to numerous solo veena performances, Vidushi Pavana’s musical accomplishments include thematic presentations as ensembles of over hundred veenas, and the revitalization of the classical tradition of playing the veena during Hindu rituals. Her outstanding contributions to popularizing the veena in communal venues and redefining the public’s perception of this classical Indian instrument have earned her numerous accolades, including a felicitation by the former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, several state awards and numerous titles. Vidushi Pavana Achar notes that “I am a firm believer in music as an art form that transcends geographical barriers, binds communities, and enables broad cultural conversations.”
Princeton Makes is a cooperative comprised of 40 local artists who work across a range of artistic genres, including painting, drawing, stained glass, ceramics, sculpture, textiles, and jewelry. Customers will be able to support local artists by shopping for a wide variety of art, including large paintings, prints, custom-made greeting cards, stained glass lamps and window hangings, jewelry in a variety of designs and patterns, and more.
