--- url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-gb/event/reading-raga-resonance-slide-strum-on-the-mystic-frets' title: 'Reading Raga Resonance: Slide & Strum on The Mystic Frets, 12 Sep 2026' author: name: rajeevk url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-gb/user/0f961cccc99524ed' date: '2026-05-26T11:51:25+00:00' updated: '2026-10-18T23:32:03+00:00' type: events.event summary: 'A unique musical journey that bridges the ancient traditions of Indian Classical Music with the expressive freedom of Western Guitar playing. This special…' tags: - Concert - Reading - In-Person image: 'https://cloudfront.kalasudha.com/kalasudha-web-prod/s3fs-public/styles/d12_standard/public/2026-05/Reading-Raga-Resonance-Slide-Strum.jpg?h=74c6825a&itok=QjLtZiiF' published: true og: site_name: KalaSudha 'image:url': 'https://cloudfront.kalasudha.com/kalasudha-web-prod/s3fs-public/styles/d12_standard/public/2026-05/Reading-Raga-Resonance-Slide-Strum.jpg?h=74c6825a&itok=QjLtZiiF' 'image:secure_url': 'https://cloudfront.kalasudha.com/kalasudha-web-prod/s3fs-public/styles/d12_standard/public/2026-05/Reading-Raga-Resonance-Slide-Strum.jpg?h=74c6825a&itok=QjLtZiiF' 'image:type': image/jpeg 'image:width': '1200' 'image:height': '675' 'image:alt': Reading-Raga-Resonance-Slide-Strum street_address: 'London Road Campus' locality: Reading postal_code: RG15AQ country_name: 'United Kingdom' --- # Reading Raga Resonance: Slide & Strum on The Mystic Frets - \#Reading - \#In-Person SEP 12, 2026 Saturday 6:00 PM 2 hours, 30 minutes The Great Hall, Reading Reading, United Kingdom ### Get Your Tickets Early Bird This event has ended. 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Booking is no longer available. Send Save Calendar [Google](https://calendar.google.com/calendar/render?action=TEMPLATE&dates=20260912T170000/20260912T193000&ctz=UTC&text=Reading+Raga+Resonance%3A+Slide+%26+Strum+on+The+Mystic+Frets&location=The+Great+Hall%2C+Reading%2C+The+Great+Hall%2C+University+of+Reading%2C+London+Road+Campus%2C+Reading%2C+RG15AQ) [Outlook](https://outlook.live.com/calendar/action/compose?path=/calendar/action/compose&rru=addevent&startdt=2026-09-12T17:00:00Z&enddt=2026-09-12T19:30:00Z&subject=Reading%20Raga%20Resonance%3A%20Slide%20%26%20Strum%20on%20The%20Mystic%20Frets&location=The%20Great%20Hall%2C%20Reading%2C%20The%20Great%20Hall%2C%20University%20of%20Reading%2C%20London%20Road%20Campus%2C%20Reading%2C%20RG15AQ) [Office 365](https://outlook.office.com/calendar/deeplink/compose?path=/calendar/action/compose&rru=addevent&startdt=2026-09-12T17:00:00Z&enddt=2026-09-12T19:30:00Z&subject=Reading%20Raga%20Resonance%3A%20Slide%20%26%20Strum%20on%20The%20Mystic%20Frets&location=The%20Great%20Hall%2C%20Reading%2C%20The%20Great%20Hall%2C%20University%20of%20Reading%2C%20London%20Road%20Campus%2C%20Reading%2C%20RG15AQ) [Yahoo](https://calendar.yahoo.com/?v=60&view=d&type=20&ST=20260912T170000Z&ET=20260912T193000Z&TITLE=Reading%20Raga%20Resonance%3A%20Slide%20%26%20Strum%20on%20The%20Mystic%20Frets&in_loc=The%20Great%20Hall%2C%20Reading%2C%20The%20Great%20Hall%2C%20University%20of%20Reading%2C%20London%20Road%20Campus%2C%20Reading%2C%20RG15AQ) [Apple / iCal](/en-gb/event/317/calendar.ics) [ Share ](/en-gb/share/317) Event Tags - Reading - In-Person ## Event Summary A unique musical journey that bridges the ancient traditions of Indian Classical Music with the expressive freedom of Western Guitar playing. This special evening features an extraordinary collaboration between three masterful artists from different musical worlds: Indian Slide Guitar maestro Pandit Debasis Chakroborty, visiting from Agra, India; guitarist Giuliano Moderalli from the UK; and Sam Evans on Tabla from Australia. ## Performing Artists [ Debasis Chakroborty ](/en-gb/artist/debasis-chakroborty) [ Giuliano Modarelli ](/en-gb/artist/giuliano-modarelli) [ Sam Evans ](/en-gb/artist/sam-evans) > " > > To play the tabla is to breathe life into an ancient conversation. Through my music and teaching, I strive to create a space where the vibrant traditions of India and the creative spirit of Australia can meet and create something entirely new. > > — Sam Evans Mastery in Motion ## Event Highlights 1 Three continents, one stage 2 A lineage that shaped modern Indian music 3 A guitarist who studied Indian music from the source 4 Australia's only PhD in tabla, trained by Zakir Hussain 5 Classical first, then fusion 6 Returning to Reading by popular demand ## Performing Artists - [ ](https://www.facebook.com/DebasisGuitar) [ ](https://www.instagram.com/debasis.chakroborty/) [ ](https://x.com/debasisguitar) ### Debasis Chakroborty 21 Events [ View Profile ](/en-gb/artist/debasis-chakroborty) - [ ](https://www.facebook.com/GiulianoModarelliMusic) [ ](https://www.instagram.com/giulianomodarelli) [ ](https://x.com/GiulsModarelli) ### Giuliano Modarelli 6 Events [ View Profile ](/en-gb/artist/giuliano-modarelli) - ### Sam Evans 4 Events [ View Profile ](/en-gb/artist/sam-evans) ## Event Details Dear music lovers from **Reading**, we are delighted to present "Slide & Strum on The Mystic Frets" as part of Kala Festival 2026 at **The Great Hall**, Reading University. A unique musical journey that beautifully bridges the ancient traditions of Indian classical music with the expressive freedom of Western guitar playing. This special evening features an extraordinary collaboration between three masterful artists from different musical worlds: **Indian Slide Guitar** maestro **Pandit Debasis Chakroborty**, visiting from Agra, India; **guitarist** **Giuliano Moderalli** from the UK; and **Sam Evans** on Tabla from **Australia**. In this concert, the soulful meditative voice of the Indian slide guitar will converse with the rich harmonies and techniques of the Western guitar, elegantly supported by the rhythmic brilliance of the tabla. The performance promises a deep musical dialogue that honours both tradition and innovation. #### Classical Foundations The first session will explore the pure essence of Indian classical music. A soul-stirring Raga-based composition featuring Alap and Jod (20 minutes).Followed by two short compositions of 15 minutes each, set in lively 7-beat and 10-beat cycles (Rupak and Jhaptal). This segment highlights the lyrical beauty and improvisational depth of Indian ragas through the duo guitar's unique timbre. #### Fusion Horizons The second session after intermission opens the doors to creative exploration with exciting fusion-style compositions. Three improvised pieces of 10 minutes each, showcasing seamless blending of Indian and Western musical elements, rhythms, and textures. This part of the concert celebrates the joy of musical discovery, where guitars weave melody, harmony, and rhythm in spontaneous, captivating ways, accompanied by Tabla. Show More ## Venue information ### The Great Hall, Reading The Great Hall, University of Reading, London Road Campus, Reading, RG15AQ [ Google Maps ](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=51.450541409903%2C-0.96187854905336) [ Apple Maps ](https://maps.apple.com/directions?destination=51.450541409903%2C-0.96187854905336) Parking Parking at The Great Hall (University of Reading, London Road Campus) is available in the White Gates Car Park (Postcode: RG1 5AG). The campus offers some spaces on a strictly first-come, first-served basis, and finding a spot can be difficult during peak hours. Accessibility The Great Hall is **accessible**. However, wheelchair spaces must be booked in advance. Image not available [ Open larger map ](https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=51.450541409903&mlon=-0.96187854905336#map=16/51.450541409903/-0.96187854905336) ## Frequently Asked Questions What does the Western guitar add at Slide & Strum on The Mystic Frets in Reading? The [guitar](/instrument/guitar) adds **harmony** to a raga. At **Slide & Strum on The Mystic Frets**, The Great Hall, Reading, 12 September 2026, **Giuliano Modarelli** plays Western guitar with Pandit Debasis Chakroborty on [Indian slide guitar](/faq/instruments-artforms/what-is-an-indian-slide-guitar) and Dr Sam Evans on tabla. Indian classical music sets melody over a **drone**, with no chord movement underneath. Modarelli builds chords behind the raga line, so you hear the same melody against changing harmony. Modarelli studied Hindustani classical music under sitarist Dharambir Singh and the sarod players Buddhadev Dasgupta and Prattyush Banerjee, and plays it on guitar. His harmony comes forward in [the fusion half](/event/reading-raga-resonance-slide-strum-on-the-mystic-frets/faq/at-the-concert/what-is-the): three improvised pieces where slide guitar and guitar trade melody, harmony and rhythm over tabla. There are two Reading concerts on 12 September. What is the difference? Two separate concerts at The Great Hall, Reading, on 12 September, each with its own ticket. [Bow, Beat, and Breath](/event/reading-raga-resonance-bow-beat-and-breath) starts at 12pm: sarangi and tabla, the two players swapping lead and accompanist at the interval. [Slide & Strum on The Mystic Frets](/event/reading-raga-resonance-slide-strum-on-the-mystic-frets) starts at 6pm, with Indian slide guitar, Western guitar and tabla playing a classical raga half, then a fusion half after the interval. The afternoon concert ends around 2.30pm and evening doors open at 5.30pm, so you can attend both. The [Full Day ticket](/faq/tickets-booking/is-there-a-ticket-for-both-reading-concerts) covers the pair. Where do I park at The Great Hall, Reading? Park at the **White Gates Car Park** on the University of Reading's **London Road Campus**. Set your sat nav to **RG1 5AG**, the car park's postcode, and drive in from Crown Place, off the London Road (A4). The campus has up to 200 spaces for Great Hall events. Spaces go first come, first served, and they get tight at busy times. Evening and weekend events need no parking permit. Coming by train or bus? See [how to get to The Great Hall](/faq/access-travel/how-do-i-get-to-the-great-hall-reading). Is The Great Hall in Reading accessible? Yes, The Great Hall in Reading is accessible. You need to book a wheelchair space ahead of the concert. Write to once you have your ticket, and we will arrange it with the venue. Where can I hear Indian classical music in Reading? KalaSudha has presented Indian classical concerts in Reading at The Great Hall, on the London Road Campus, the University of Reading's original home. Concerts there took place on Sunday 14 September 2025 and twice on Saturday 12 September 2026, at midday and in the evening, as part of the Kala Festival. Who is the Indian slide guitarist Pandit Debasis Chakroborty, and where does he work and perform? [**Pandit Debasis Chakroborty**](/artist/debasis-chakroborty) plays [Indian slide guitar](/instrument/indian-slide-guitar) in Hindustani classical music and has over 25 years of professional experience. He plays in the [Senia-Maihar gharana](/gharana/senia-maihar-gharana). He has been part of the Department of Performing Arts at Mangalayatan University since its inception. He is also a regular visitor, conductor-performer and Artist-in-Residence at universities in Australia and the USA. He helped carry out a joint music research project between Mangalayatan University and Monash University, and has published 10 research papers. Who is the guitarist Giuliano Modarelli, and how did he come to Indian music? [**Giuliano Modarelli**](/artist/giuliano-modarelli) is a London-based Italian [guitarist](/instrument/guitar) and composer who blends Indian classical music, jazz and contemporary world music. Born in Milan in 1977, he moved to England in 2000 and took a bachelor's degree in jazz at Leeds College of Music in 2003. He studied Indian music with the sitar player Dharambir Singh and the sarod players Buddhadev Dasgupta and Prattyush Bannerjee. He founded the collective Samay and the ensemble Kefaya, and he has worked with [Ustad Shahbaz Hussain](/artist/shahbaz-hussain) and Pandit Ajay Prasanna. What is an Indian slide guitar? The **Indian slide guitar** is a guitar laid flat across the lap and stopped with a steel bar instead of fingers on frets. Sympathetic strings ring underneath the melody unstruck, and the player plucks extra drone (chikari) strings. The bar never leaves the string, so one note travels into the next without a break. For its history and players, see the [Indian slide guitar](/instrument/indian-slide-guitar) page. What is the Senia-Maihar gharana, who founded it, and which KalaSudha artist plays in it? The [**Senia-Maihar gharana**](/gharana/senia-maihar-gharana) is the [sarod](/instrumental/hindustani-classical/sarod) lineage that Allauddin Khan founded at Maihar, a former princely state, in the early 20th century. Most sources treat it and the Maihar gharana as one school spanning several instruments. "Senia" names the Tansen line, which Allauddin Khan joined as a disciple of Wazir Khan of Rampur. He brought a **dhrupad** approach to the sarod, sitar, violin and bansuri. Among KalaSudha's artists, [Pandit Debasis Chakroborty](/artist/debasis-chakroborty) plays in the gharana. Have more questions? Contact our support team and we'll be happy to help!