Pandit Satish Vyas began his taalim in raag sangeet under the guidance of his father, the renowned vocalist and Padma Bhushan awardee, the late Pandit C. R. Vyas. However, his true passion lay in learning the santoor, and he was honoured to be accepted as a disciple by the legendary Padma Vibhushan awardee, the late Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma.

Receiving training from both his father and Shivji, Pandit Vyas developed a distinctive style that combines the gayaki ang (vocal expression) with the layakari and tantrakari ang (rhythmic and instrumental techniques) in his santoor playing.

As Shivji’s most senior disciple, Pandit Satish Vyas is among the most sought-after santoor performers and has graced prestigious music festivals around the world.

Jonathan Voyer is a disciple of santoor maestro Pandit Satish Vyas and of Kirana Ghatana vocalist Pandit Somanath Mardur. He received his initial training with voice teacher Louise Yard from whom he learned the Bel Canto singing technique. He founded Samskara : les artisans du passage with dancer Julie Beaulieu to promote transcultural dialogue through the arts. Jonathan has a Ph.D in Artistic Research from the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM). He is a membre of Centre d’études et de recherche sur l’Inde, l’Asie du Sud et sa diaspora (CERIAS) and a lecturer in arts at UQAM.

He will be accompanied by Shawn Mativetsky on tabla.

Shawn Mativetsky is considered one of Canada’s leading ambassadors of the tabla, and is a pioneer in bridging the worlds of Western and Indian classical music. Acclaimed as an exceptional soloist and a leading disciple of the renowned Pandit Sharda Sahai, Shawn Mativetsky is highly sought-after as both performer and educator, and is active in the promotion of the tabla and North Indian classical music through lectures, workshops, and performances across Canada and internationally. Based in Montreal, Shawn teaches tabla and percussion at McGill University.

Mukundraj Deo is regarded as one of the finest tabla players of India’s younger generation. Coming from an artistic family, he received rigorous training in tabla under the late Pandit Brijraj Mishra (disciple of the late Pandit Sharada Sahai) of the Banaras Gharana, as well as under Pandit Mridangraj of the Ajrada Gharana.

He earned his Sangeet Visharad and Alankaar in tabla with first-class distinction from the Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. His talent has been widely recognized, earning him a National Scholarship from the Government of India in 1990, the prestigious Taalmani title from Sursingar Samsad in Mumbai in 1993, and a National Fellowship in 1997. He is an ‘A’ grade artist with All India Radio and Doordarshan.

Mukundraj Deo has had the honour of accompanying some of India’s most iconic maestros, including Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Birju Maharaj, Dr. Prabha Atre, Begum Parveen Sultana, Dr. N. Rajam, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, and Pandit Ramnarayan.

He has performed internationally, participating in major music festivals such as the Adelaide Festival in Australia, York Early Music Festival in England, Fes World Music Festival in Morocco, and the Sydney Opera House Festival in Australia.