Sitaria is a musical project led by sitarist Uwe Neumann, accompanied for this concert by percussionist Subir Dev. Sitaria explores the melodic richness and rhythmic power of the Hindustani (North Indian) tradition. The performances are a skilful blend of composition and improvisation, testifying to the musicians’ profound mastery and close working relationship. The sitar, at the heart of the project, is an emblematic instrument born in the 13th century from the encounter between Indian tradition (Veena, ragas) and Persian influences (Rabab).

Uwe Neumann is a renowned sitar musician and an ambassador for Indian classical music. A recipient of the Ravi Shankar Memorial Award, he studied for ten years in India with the master Pandit Indranil Bhattacharya, obtaining a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music (1997) from Visva Bharati University in Shantiniketan. He has been training with Sri Partha Bose since 2009.

Founder of the Ragleela group in 1990, he has played at numerous festivals in India, including the Millennium Concert in Benares in 1999, in front of thousands of spectators and dignitaries such as the Dalai Lama and Narendra Modi. Based in Montreal since 2000, he has given over 400 concerts across North America, Europe and India, at prestigious events such as the Montreal International Jazz Festival, Sunfest, and the Vancouver Folk Festival. In addition to Ragleela, he is involved in various projects: Sitaria (sitar-tablas)