HOUSTON (TIP): The Berklee Indian Ensemble is bringing its genre-bending sound to Houston for the first time ever! Fresh off the release of their GRAMMY nominated debut album, Shuruaat, the Ensemble is on the road with a slate of originals, new arrangements, songs from the album, and, of course, audience favorite classics. Join some of the Ensemble’s most recognizable faces for an evening of joy, celebration, laughs, and of course, incredible music.

The Ensemble was founded in 2011 by Annette Philip, the first Indian music faculty member at the Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA). It is a world renowned collective known for honoring its Indian roots while boldly experimenting with a cross-pollination of genres, and multi-disciplinary art. The ensemble boasts over 300 million YouTube views and has organically transitioned from a university ensemble to a professional band.

Featuring over 400 students and alumni from 52 nations, the ensemble has collaborated with some of the world’s most celebrated musicians such as Pt. Zakir Hussain and A.R. Rahman.

In a world that is highly divided, Philip sees the band’s function as one of building bridges; a free-wheeling approach to musical cultures that prioritizes the people who make them, rather than the restrictions of genre or form. “There is a unique power when musicians from different cultural and musical backgrounds make art together with vulnerability and openness in a space that celebrates their similarities and differences….The music that gets created in this space comes across viscerally and allows a song in a foreign language to feel completely relatable because of the human connection, making you want to be part of it.”

The Indo-American Association of Houston (IAA) is the area’s longest running nonprofit arts organization with a mission to preserve and promote the performing arts of the Indian subcontinent. Now in its 30th season, it provides a platform for world-renowned artists as well as emerging artists in venues such as the Wortham Center, Brown Auditorium, Hobby Centre, MATCH, Asia Society and Stafford Civic Center. Over the years, IAA has built a reputation of fostering the appreciation of performing arts within the diverse Houston community