IN-PERSON with Vivek Anand

$25 Day of | $20 In advance

Vivek Anand in a classical vocal concert:
The Clay Speaks – Maati Kahey

Please join us for a South Asian Hindustani Classical Vocal Concert by our neighbor Vivek Anand, joined by Nikhil Pandya on Tabla and Ben Kunin on Sarod, and special guest artist, Kathak dancer Sonia Mann Qureshi.

This trio presented Vivek’s solo concert Union and Transcendence – Jog aur Tyaag at Integral Yoga and the solo concert Now My Boat – Ab Mori Naiyya at Noe Valley Ministry in 2024.

We are delighted to host them, on May 16th, 2026, in sharing a brand new concert, composed just for Integral Yoga Institute, titled The Clay Speaks – Maati Kahey, Songs about clay in its many forms and human life. Vivek will be joined by Kathak dancer Sonia Mann Qureshi in a special song, and they look forward to this exciting collaboration!

Come and experience musical forms such as khayal, thumri and ghazal, and the interaction with dance!

Vivek Anand is a vocalist with a focus on emotional and spiritual meaning. He is also a poet, lyricist and life-long student, practitioner and champion of South Asian Classical/Hindustani Classical vocal traditions. Vivek has studied and sung for several decades with his guru, Rita Sahai (vocalist of the Seni Alāuddin Gharānā and Benāres Gharānā, and accomplished student of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan), and with his ustad, Sukhawat Ali Khan (vocalist of the Shām Chorasi Gharānā, and son of Ustad Salamat Ali Khan). Through this training he has acquired his emotional and spiritual focus, a knowledge of rāgas, composition, lyric writing, elaboration, rhythm, and language. Vivek is a soloist in the ensembles Vasundhara Choir, Cali Qawwali and Anhad Naad. His extensive repertoire includes Hindustani classical, semi-classical, bhajans, Sufi songs, ghazals, and raga-based collaborations with jazz and world musicians. Instagram @vivek.anand.sf

Nikhil Pandya is a well-known virtuoso tabla player and figure within the Hindustani music community of the Bay Area, and has been inspiring audiences for over 25 years. Nikhil has a unique ability to relate and communicate with vocalists and other musicians on stage. Nikhil’s training under Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri has given him a strong foundation in the subject of tabla. He has had the privilege of performing with many senior musicians and vocalists, and has also collaborated with western musicians and other performers of non-classical Indian music, making him an extraordinarily versatile performer. Instagram @nikhilpandya.ca

Ben Kunin is one of today’s most accomplished sarod players in the Bay Area. He learned his instrument and the tradition of North Indian classical music over more than 25 years of study under the legendary Maestro Ali Akbar Khan at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, CA. He also learned tabla from Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri. In 2006, he began training with Pandit Chitresh Das and the Chandam School of Kathak Dance as an accompanist on the sarod. Ben performs frequently as a soloist and as well as accompanist. Instagram @benkunin

Sonia Mann Qureshi has studied the Lucknow gharana of kathak from the Tarangini School of Kathak Dance in the Bay Area led under Shrimati Anuradha Nag,a disciple of the legendary Pandit Birju Maharaj of the Lucknow Gharana. In her efforts to encourage the growth of dance and music throughout the Bay Area, Sonia has taught classes, conducted presentations and has performed at various events and festivals throughout California. Instagram @soniamqureshi