(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Schirmer Theatrical, part of Wise Music Group, presents a new concert production introducing The Ravi Shankar Ensemble— a multi-generational collective of world-class musicians curated by Anoushka and Sukanya Shankar. The ensemble is dedicated to the masterful compositions and enduring legacy of sitarist Ravi Shankar whose innovative artistry brought Indian classical music to the world. The production comes to McCarter Theatre on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 7:30pm.
For the ensemble’s 14-city Spring 2026 debut tour, Ravi’s wife Sukanya Shankar and their daughter, musician Anoushka Shankar, have curated a thoughtful collection of Ravi Shankar’s repertoire for the six-piece ensemble. The program will focus on the maestro’s notable devotion to both tradition and creativity while building understanding and love of Indian classical music with audiences worldwide. The concert weaves together elegantly designed visuals, featuring rare audio and video materials from the Ravi Shankar archives alongside a dynamic selection of Shankar’s soul-stirring music.
The Ravi Shankar Ensemble features Shubhendra Rao (Sitar), Anubrata Chatterjee (Tabla), B C Manjunath (Mridangam), Ravichandra Kulur (Flute), Padma Shankar (Violin, Vocals) and Aayush Mohan (Sarod).
Sukanya Shankar says, "Ravi Shankar—the Indian Sun—continues to shine on. Raviji’s influence extends beyond music, encompassing cultural exchange, spiritual exploration, and his role as a global ambassador for India. I am so happy and deeply touched that through this tour of the Ravi Shankar Ensemble with young virtuosic musicians, his legacy continues to inspire and influence generations to come."
Tickets for the McCarter performance range from $46-$76 and are available for purchase online. McCarter Theatre Center is located at 91 University Place in Princeton, New Jersey.
Anoushka Shankar says, “Curating this concert program alongside my mother has been a profound way to reconnect with my father’s music – not just as his daughter, but as his student and a fellow musician perpetually learning from his vast body of work. Although it’s virtually impossible, I wanted to showcase the breadth of what made him the incomparable musician he was: beyond a performer and sitar player but also a composer, innovator and pioneer. The pieces we’ve chosen carry so many shades: complexity and lightness, discipline and abandon. I’m so excited to share this living, breathing celebration of his artistry with new audiences, brought to life by truly incredible musicians who understand the depth of what it means to play his music.”
“The Ravi Shankar Ensemble represents a deeply meaningful collaboration of musical legacy and living tradition,” adds Betsey Perlmutter, Vice President & Creative Director of Schirmer Theatrical. “It is an absolute honor to work alongside Sukanya and Anoushka on this project which not only honors Ravi Shankar’s profound impact on the musical and cultural landscape but also provides audiences with a multi-generational bridge to his music.”
In a career that spanned decades and continents, Maestro Ravi Shankar made an indelible imprint on global music history and culture. A virtuosic Indian musician and composer known for his mastery of the sitar, Shankar was a leading cultural figure of the 20th century and a major figure in the Hindustani music tradition, reshaping the centuries-old form into what it is now recognized as today and introducing Western audiences to the classical tradition of Indian Ragas. He popularized Indian classical music globally through his teaching, performances and collaborations with Western musicians like Yehudi Menuhin, Philip Glass and George Harrison. His compositions for sitar and orchestra bridged the gap between Eastern and Western music. Shankar received the Bharat Ratna (India’s highest civilian honor), France’s Legion D’Honneur, a Knighthood from Queen Elizabeth, Sweden’s Polar Music Prize, Japan’s Praemium Imperiale, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, eighteen honorary doctorates and five Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Ravi Shankar Ensemble project is produced by Schirmer Theatrical (part of Wise Music Group). Concert bookings by outer/most agency.
Schirmer Theatrical (part of Wise Music Group) is a creative producer at the intersection of music, theater, and technology—where legacy meets reinvention—shaping and transforming iconic artist catalogues into immersive, contemporary performance experiences for international stages. With a focus on multidisciplinary creation, we develop new symphonic experiences, theatrical concerts, and experiential productions that expand how audiences encounter music. Our creative projects are rooted in collaboration, bringing together top performers, composers, choreographers, directors, visual artists, orchestras, movie studios, and creative partners. We honor artistic legacy while pushing performance forward, resulting in globally scalable productions that redefine musical storytelling as immersive, collaborative, and alive.
McCarter is one of the country’s flagship theaters and a vibrant center for community and the performing arts. Located on the campus of Princeton University, the company is an independent nonprofit, serving as a nationally renowned, multi-disciplinary creative hub for arts and ideas, offering theatre, music, dance, spoken word, and educational programs for all ages.
A two-time Tony Award winner, McCarter’s legacy of artistic excellence dates back to its first performances in 1930. Our Town, You Can’t Take It with You, and Bus Stop all premiered at McCarter, paving the way for a long history of launching remarkable works that have gone on to tens of thousands of performances worldwide.
The company is equally revered for presenting global artists on its stages, including Yo-Yo Ma, Samara Joy, Hasan Minhaj, Jon Stewart, Caetano Veloso, Rhiannon Giddens, Patti Smith, Esperanza Spalding, Lake Street Dive, and Herbie Hancock. Of the 100,000 community members who engage with McCarter each year, more than 5,000 are students participating in educational programs in Princeton, Trenton, and schools across the region. McCarter leads with values of justice, joy, and beauty in belonging—creating a space where artists and audiences can come together to celebrate the power of live performance.
