MASTERWORKS: MYSTIC HORIZONS to Open Western Piedmont Symphony Season

WESTERN PIEDMONT SYMPHONY will present MASTERWORKS: MYSTIC HORIZONS on Saturday, October 24, 2026, 7:30 p.m. at P.E. Monroe Auditorium in Hickory. Opening the Symphony's 62nd Masterworks season, this captivating performance features internationally acclaimed, GRAMMY Award-winning tabla virtuoso Sandeep Das alongside Music Director Matthew Troy and the orchestra for an evening of music that crosses cultures, traditions, and musical boundaries.

Rich with stories, vivid imagery, moments of sublime beauty, and the driving rhythms of North Indian classical music, MYSTIC HORIZONS invites audiences on a journey across genre, time, and place. The evening's program features Max Richter's On the Nature of Daylight, Behzad Ranjbaran's Seven Passages, Dinuk Wijeratne's Concerto for Tabla and Orchestra, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade. From Richter's meditative melodies to the colorful storytelling of Scheherazade, the program offers a remarkable range of musical expression, including the distinctive sounds of the tabla, a pair of hand drums central to North Indian classical music.

Featured guest artist Sandeep Das is one of the world's leading tabla virtuosos, a GRAMMY Award-winning musician, and a Guggenheim Fellow. A disciple of the legendary Pandit Kishan Maharaj of the Banaras Gharana, Das made his debut at age 17 alongside sitar maestro Ravi Shankar. His remarkable career has taken him to stages across five continents, performing with renowned artists including Yo-Yo Ma and the Silkroad Ensemble and major orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, and Chicago Symphony. Known for bringing together traditional Indian classical music and contemporary musical expression, Das has captivated audiences around the world for more than three decades.

Ahead of his performance with WESTERN PIEDMONT SYMPHONY, GRAMMY Award-winning artist Sandeep Das will visit Chai Kona in downtown Hickory on Friday, October 23, at 1:00 p.m. for a special Community Conversation. Presented by WESTERN PIEDMONT SYMPHONY and Chai Kona, this intimate gathering offers an opportunity to hear from Das, learn about his remarkable musical journey, and meet an internationally acclaimed artist. This project was supported by a grant from Arts Culture Catawba.

The event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests are encouraged to arrive early and enjoy a cup of chai before the conversation begins.

Enhance your concert experience with a special pre-concert conversation led by Music Director Matthew Troy. This complimentary talk, free for all concert ticket holders, will take place from 6:30 to 6:50 p.m. in P.E. Monroe Auditorium prior to MASTERWORKS: MYSTIC HORIZONS. Audiences are invited to gain deeper insight into the composers, inspirations, and musical connections featured on the program before the performance begins.