When East Meets West: Tabla Virtuoso Shawn Mativetsky Joins Maestro Michael Newnham

Nov 1, 2025 7:30 PM
Showplace Performance Centre

Sometimes a PSO concert isn’t just a concert—it’s a cultural collision that rewrites the rules. That’s exactly what’s about to go down when conductor Michael Newnham takes the podium and Montreal-based tabla master Shawn Mativetsky steps into the spotlight.

On the program: Rossini’s whip-smart Overture to The Barber of Seville, Mozart’s grandiose Symphony No. 41 (“Jupiter”), and right in the middle, the fireworks—Dinuk Wijeratne’s Concerto for Tabla and Orchestra. It’s a piece that pulls the centuries-old tradition of North Indian drumming into the lush sonic world of Western classical, a mash-up that’s as thrilling as it is unpredictable.

Mativetsky isn’t just playing notes—he’s carrying a lineage. A leading disciple of the legendary Pandit Sharda Sahai, he’s been pushing tabla into new frontiers for years, from intimate solo recitals to electronic experiments with synths and tape loops. When he locks in with a full orchestra, it’s not just rhythm—it’s storytelling, tradition, and innovation in one rolling thunder of sound.

Arrive early for the 6:45 PM pre-concert chat—because when East meets West like this, context is half the thrill.