Zakir Hussain & Masters Of Percussion to Play Lincoln Theatre, 4/6

Zakir Hussain is considered one of the greatest musicians of our time. Along with his legendary father and teacher, Ustad Allarakha, he has elevated the status of his instrument, the tabla, both in India and around the world. To that end, every other year since 1996, he has served as curator, producer, and host in touring the very best of Indian music to America and Europe with Zakir Hussain and Masters of Percussion.

CAPA presents Zakir Hussain and Masters of Percussion at the Lincoln Theatre (769 E. Long St.) on Wednesday, April 6, at 8 pm. Tickets are $25, $35, and $100 (VIP) at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000.

About Zakir Hussain

Zakir is the reigning master virtuoso of the classical Indian tabla, an unrivaled performer with the greats of Indian music. Moreover, his remarkably wide musical vision has taken him and his tabla into unimagined realms of collaboration that make him one of the chief architects of the contemporary "world music" movement. Shakti, which he founded with John McLaughlin and L. Shankar, the Diga Rhythm Band and Planet Drum with Mickey Hart, and Sangam with Charles Lloyd and Eric Harland only begin to sketch his career.

His Triple Concerto for Banjo, Bass and Tabla, a piece co-composed with Edgar Meyer and Bela Fleck, was first performed by them with the Nashville Symphony at the gala opening of the Schermerhorn Symphony Hall, and then re-created with the Detroit Symphony. That performance plus new, original works composed by Zakir, Edgar, and Bela, were released as The Melody of Rhythm in 2009.

Zakir's second concerto, Concerto for Four Soloists, was a special commission for the National Symphony Orchestra, and was performed at the Kennedy Center in 2011. His third concerto, Peshkar, debuted in September 2015 to rapturous acclaim in Mumbai. Performed by Zakir and the Symphony Orchestra of India, it was described in the Hindustan Times as "a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Simply sublime."

Zakir has received countless honors from sources ranging from the Indian, French, and US governments to Modern Drummer, Drum!, and Downbeat Magazines to the Grammys. He was the recipient of the 1999 National Heritage Fellowship, the US' most prestigious honor for a master in the traditional arts, and has been named an Old Dominion Fellow by the Humanities Council at Princeton University.

In 2007, the government of India selected Zakir to compose an anthem to celebrate India's 60th year of independence. The song, "Jai Hind," has been recorded by an array of India's finest classical vocalists and pop singers.

Anantha Krishnan

Anantha R. Krishnan is the grandson and disciple of mridangam (a double-ended "Carnatic" Southern Indian drum) maestro Vidwan Shri. Palghat R.Raghu. Anantha initially learned mridangam from his uncle, Shri. R. Ramkumar. He also studies tabla with Ustad Zakir Hussain. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College and a Master of Fine Arts from Mills College, California. He currently serves on the faculty of KM Music Conservatory in Chennai.

Sabir Khan

Sabir Khan is the ninth generation of his family to take up Sarangi (a stringed North Indian instrument played with a bow), and is considered one of the beacons of the younger generation and the wonderful product of a greatly talented lineage. He began to learn music at the age of six from his grandfather, Ustad Gulab Khan, who was a great sarangi player and vocalist. Soon after, Sabir began to study with his father, the world-renowned sarangi player and vocalist Ustad Sultan Khan, and with his late uncle, Ustad Nasir Khan. His extraordinary technique of combining sur and laya (note and rhythm) has made him stand out. In addition to his outstanding work in classical music, he has played with both gazal masters and on many Indian films.

Navin Sharma

A master of the Dholak (a double-ended, pitched drum associated with Indian folk music), Navin first studied with his father, Shri Shyam Rughuram Sharma. Seeking to learn more in the classical vein, he studied with Zakir's father, Ustad Allarakha. Navin has played with many masters across India, and in genres that include jazz, fusion, pop, rock, gazal, and bhajan.

Mannargudi Vasudevan

Best known as "Vasu," Mannargudi Vasudevan is the world's premiere performer on the Tavil, a barrel-shaped drum prominent in Carnatic music. He trained at the Valivalam Music School, and his primary teacher was Kunju Singaravelu Pillai. He has performed all over the US, Europe, and Malaysia. He is also an examiner at the Chennai Music College.