Indian Classical Music Concert In Naperville, Aug.5

If you live in the Chicago suburbs, this Sunday offers something rare: an evening devoted entirely to Indian classical music, right here in Naperville.

An Indian classical music concert is nothing like a Western symphony — and that is exactly why it is worth hearing. A single raga unfolds slowly over the course of an evening, the musician exploring its moods the way a painter works a single color across a canvas. There is no program of many short pieces; there is one deep conversation between the artist, the instrument, and the raga.

For many of us in the diaspora, these concerts are also something else: a thread back home. The elderly couple who drive in from Aurora, the college student dragged along by his parents who ends up closing his eyes and actually listening — every seat in the room holds a different story.

Events like this don't come to Naperville every week. When they do, they depend on audiences. So consider this your invitation: Sunday, August 5, an evening of Indian classical music in Naperville. Check the concert listings for venue and time, bring a friend, and arrive early — the best seats in a baithak-style concert go to those who understand that silence before the first note is part of the music.