Indian Grammy Award-winning classical musician to perform in Toronto
This October, the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto will host a standout performance as part of the ISHQ Festival 2025—a month-long celebration of arts, devotion and global sound—from October 1 to 26. On Saturday, October 11, 2025, the museum collaborates with Small World Music to present an off-site concert at Trinity St. Paul’s United Church featuring sitar master Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee and sarod virtuoso Arnab Chakrabarty, along with the Grammy-winning percussionist Ustad Sukhvinder Singh Pinky.
The evening promises a sophisticated survey of North Indian classical music rooted in tradition and executed with global mastery. It’s a rare chance to see major Indian classical music maestro Sukhvinder Singh Pinky live in Toronto.
Who is Ustad Sukhvinder Singh Pinky?
Ustad Sukhvinder Singh Pinky is hailed as one of India’s most dynamic percussionists, renowned for his expertise in both the tabla and the rare jori drum. Born in Sri Bhaini Sahib (Punjab), he began performing at age five and later trained under the legendary Pandit Kishan Maharaj in Varanasi.
Among his many accolades, Pinky is a Grammy Award winner—the first major Indian classical percussionist to bring that recognition to the genre in his instrument’s field. His work spans collaboration with global orchestras and groundbreaking recordings, making him a true Indian classical music maestro on the world stage.
Joining him are Budhaditya Mukherjee—recognized for his exquisite sitar technique—and Arnab Chakrabarty, the Toronto-based sarod expert who bridges Indian classical traditions and North American audiences.
Why this performance matters
In a city as diverse as Toronto, this concert underscores the rich tapestry of South Asian art and the global reach of Indian classical music. Hosting an Indian classical music maestro of Pinky’s stature signals the Aga Khan Museum’s ambition to bring serious, tradition-rooted performance to new audiences.
Attendees will witness a deep dive into ragas and rhythms: from the lyrical expanses of the sitar, through the intellectual & emotive sarod stylings, to the thunderous and precise beats of tabla and jori. For both connoisseurs and newcomers, the evening offers a compelling entry point into a centuries-old musical tradition.
As part of the ISHQ Festival’s broader vision—of art as devotion, of sound as spiritual and cultural transmission—this concert becomes both a highlight and a milestone. If you’re seeking a live experience of musical mastery, don’t miss this rare chance to hear an Indian classical music maestro perform in Toronto.