Reading

Reading is a town in Berkshire, England, with a documented history of South Asian cultural engagement dating to the mid-20th century. The town hosted early performances of Indian classical music through local community initiatives and university-affiliated events. In 1972, sitarist Ravi Shankar performed at the University of Reading’s Great Hall as part of a European tour, accompanied by tabla player Alla Rakha. The concert featured ragas in the khayal and dhun styles, though no commercial recording exists. The venue later became a periodic stop for touring Indian classical artists, including a 1987 performance by vocalist Kishori Amonkar, who presented ragas from the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana.

Reading’s South Asian cultural presence expanded with the establishment of the Reading Mela in 1990, an annual multicultural festival incorporating Indian classical dance and music. The 1998 edition included a performance by bansuri flute player Harprasad Chaurasia, who played ragas Yaman and Bhairavi with a supporting ensemble. Local organizations such as the Reading Indian Arts Circle, founded in 2001, organized workshops and recitals, featuring artists like sarod player Amjad Ali Khan in a 2004 masterclass and concert. Khan performed compositions in the Senia Bangash style, accompanied by his sons Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash on sarod and tabla player Shubhankar Banerjee.

The Hexagon Theatre, a mid-sized venue in Reading, hosted a 2010 collaboration between sitarist Anoushka Shankar and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, blending Indian classical motifs with Western orchestration. The program included Shankar’s original composition Traveller, released later that year on the album of the same name under Deutsche Grammophon. In 2016, the Reading-based charity Milapfest presented a series of Indian classical music lectures and demonstrations at the town’s Central Library, featuring Kathak dancer Sonia Sabri and santur player Satish Vyas. The events focused on the interplay between North and South Indian classical traditions.

Reading’s role as a hub for Indian classical music remains tied to its academic institutions and migrant communities. The University of Reading’s Department of Music occasionally hosts research seminars on Hindustani and Carnatic music, while local temples and cultural centers organize smaller-scale performances. Exact documentation of pre-1970 events is limited, and no dedicated Indian classical music venue operates in the town as of 2024. The most consistent programming occurs through the annual Mela and ad-hoc collaborations with national arts organizations.