Concerts of
Nachiketa Yakkundi
January-February
2025
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Friday the 24th of
January to Sunday the 9th of February – Naatak presents Ghasiram Kotwal – Naatak’s 112th production, Ghasiram Kotwal is Vijay Tendulkar’s
magnum opus – a grand musical about power, politics, and perversion in the
times of the Peshwas. Set against the backdrop of the Maratha Empire of 18th
century India, the play features spectacular sets and costumes, iconic musical
tracks, and the beautiful and vibrant folk dances of Maharashtra. With most of the songs composed originally by Bhaskar Chandavarkar,
music direction and some original music, along with the lead vocal performance,
and a prominent acting role, are by me. Cubberley Theatre, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303
May 2025
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Sunday the 4th – Savinenapu
– a musical tribute to the late Nagaraj Patil, a cultural behemoth and a
dear friend of mine, whose varied talent, unwavering ideals, gregarious
personality, and lasting legacy touched the lives of innumerable people in
California, USA, India, and beyond, and whose untimely passing in 2024 was a
cruel cut to us all. Ajay Sundar Raj (T), Manoj Tamhankar
(H), Abhijit Jere (P); Ohlone College’s Smith Center,
43600 Mission Boulevard, Fremont, CA 94539
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Sunday
the 18th – Basava Jayanti – I will be performing in a concert of vachanas for this auspicious occasion. I will
be accompanied by my son Rochan and my daughter Ambhranee on
vocals as well as on the harmonium; Livermore Temple, 1232 Arrowhead
Avenue, Livermore, CA 94551; 2:30-3:30 PM; Ajay Sundar Raj (T); this concert is free and open to all
June 2025
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Sunday the 15th – Udaya
Jyoti: A Morning Concert of Hindustani Vocal Music - I will be performing in a rather rare early
morning concert, with my son Rochan Yakkundi providing vocal support; Palo Alto Art Center Auditorium, 1313 Newell Road, Palo Alto,
CA 94303; Tanmay Bichu (T) and Vivek Datar
(H); admission is FREE but an RSVP is necessary – please follow
the QR code or the link in the concert flyer above – or go directly to Eventbrite
here to RSVP
The recording of the concert is now
available on YouTube.
July 2025
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Sunday the 27th – Summer
Baithak - I will be
performing in a house concert in Cupertino, California; Shivam Sudame (T) and Vijay Ghaskadvi
(H); vocal support will be by Aparna Thyagarajan and Gautam Pradeep;
admission is FREE but an RSVP
is necessary
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Tuesday the 29th – Concert of Krishna
Bhajans - I will be
performing Krishna bhajans as part of the Gopika Geet theme at the Mahasamadhi Camp organised by Chinmaya Mission San Jose at the Signia by Hilton hotel in San Jose, California; Tejas Venkateswaran
(T) and Krishna Parthasarathy (V)
August 2025
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Sunday the 3rd – A
Morning Concert of Hindustani Vocal Music – my daughter Ambhranee Yakkundi will be
performing in a full-length concert at the residence of Ravindra and Girija Rao
in San Jose, CA; Amit Rao (T) and Rochan Yakkundi (H); admission
is FREE but an RSVP is necessary
September
2025
o Saturday the 6th to Sunday the 28th – Naatak presents Sultana Daku - Naatak opens its landmark 30th season with a timeless tale
written specially for this occasion: An adaptation of the novel The
Confession of Sultana Daku (Penguin, 2009), recounting
the daring exploits of Sultana Daku – his thrilling
raids, imaginative escapes, rise to notoriety, and dramatic capture by Freddy
Young, the celebrated superintendent of police who, in 1924, finally put an end
to Sultana’s reign of terror around Bareilly and Moradabad. As the first in a
long line of notorious bandits, Sultana Daku with his
horse-riding gang has appeared in countless films, in Hollywood – The Long
Duel (1967) starring Yul Brynner – and in Indian cinema – Sultana Daku (1973) starring Dara Singh – and with his
best-known avatar being Gabbar Singh in Sholay (1975.) With an
enthralling new script that has never been performed before, the play will
feature live music and dance, wit and humor, and
energetic svaang performances that evoke 1920s
India. Original music composition, music direction, and lead vocal performance
are by me. Cubberley Theatre, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303
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Saturday
the 13th – Ustad
Amir Khan Festival – I will
be performing
in a Hindustani
vocal concert in this annual
festival organised by the Intonation
Foundation; Ravi Gutala (T) and Vivek Datar (H), my son Rochan
Yakkundi will provide vocal support; Historic Hoover Theater, 1635 Park Avenue, San Jose, CA 95126; starting at 10:00 AM; tickets
and details available here
November 2025
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Saturday
the 22nd – RSV 2025! The annual student concert of our Rajguru Sangeet Vidyaniketan, in which
my students will perform along with many other talented musicians. Staying in
tune with tradition, I will perform for the finale. The Garden House at Shoup Park, 400 University Avenue, Los Altos, CA
94022, starting at 1:00 PM. This concert is free and open to all!
