Indian classical music trio draws sold-out crowd at Jerusalem International Oud Festival

Israeli audiences gave a long standing ovation to Indian classical musicians Rakesh Chaurasia, Purbayan Chatterjee, and Ojas Adhiya on Tuesday evening. The trio appeared together in a rare joint performance during the Jerusalem International Oud Festival. The concert blended calm melodies with improvisation and rhythm, organisers and attendees said.

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The programme, titled Triveni: The Celestial Confluence of Indian Classical Music, drew strong interest in Israel. Tickets sold out within hours of the announcement, creating early buzz among music fans. The performance formed part of the festival’s eight-day schedule, which brought artists from several countries to Jerusalem.

Jerusalem International Oud Festival and Indian classical music concert

The Jerusalem International Oud Festival started on November 5 and ran until November 12. Confederation House founded the International Oud Festival in Jerusalem in 2000. The organisers aimed to highlight Arab musical heritage and its cross-border influence. Each year, the festival hosted international performers and also premiered original works by Israeli artists.

A senior organising committee member said the show would highlight core Indian classical elements. "Triveni will offer the meditative spirit, spontaneous improvisations and sweeping rhythm that characterise the great tradition of Indian classical music.\" The committee member also described the concert as \"a unique, one-time experience\" shaped by raga and tala structures.

The audience response remained strong through the end of the set. One attendee, Eyal, said, \"Well, it lived up to our expectations, or even exceeded them. What an experiment with such a phenomenal result,\" after the trio’s performance ended. Many in the hall continued applauding for several minutes, witnesses said.

India-Israel friendship and Indian classical music at Jerusalem

Indian embassy Deputy Chief of Mission DCM Sarvjeet Soodan linked the evening to wider cultural ties. \"It musical extravaganza celebrates Indian music but also celebrates a very important India-Israel friendship,\" Soodan said. Soodan added that, in the Indian tradition, music went beyond entertainment and reflected a personal journey.

Speaking about the concert’s theme, Soodan described Triveni as a meeting of three streams. \"Triveni is a story of that path-the path that the three rivers, represented today by the three artists on flute, sitar and tabla-and the confluence of these three streams is happening in this most beautiful, most ancient city that resembles the confluence of civilisation and faith, Jerusalem,\" Soodan said.

Rakesh Chaurasia, Purbayan Chatterjee and Ojas Adhiya at Indian classical music event

For Grammy Award winner Rakesh Chaurasia, the concert marked a return visit to Israel. It was Chaurasia’s fifth performance in the country. Chaurasia, along with uncle Hariprasad Chaurasia, remained popular with Israeli listeners of Indian music, according to people connected with the event.

Chaurasia told the audience, \"I love coming back here as the crowd is always warm and welcoming. It has been no different this time,\" while also urging continued support for live music. Chaurasia also asked listeners to back festivals and artists as AI changed the music space.

Purbayan Chatterjee also spoke about the setting in Jerusalem. Purbayan called Jerusalem one of favourite places and said the group enjoyed walking around the city. The concert remained a one-off collaboration within the festival schedule, which continued hosting performances until November 12.

With inputs from PTI