Fantasia Orchestra led a vibrant and instinctive meeting of East and West, where traditions blended naturally into a shared, living musical experience.
There are events that promise to curate a programme where West meets East, but there are others others that move past that idea entirely. Under Tom Fetherstonhaugh, this felt fluid and open. Not East meets West or the other way round, but rather a shared space where both could exist at once. In a world he described as fractured, everything felt quietly grounding, cultures coming together naturally.
There was a looseness to the evening, closer to a live session than a formal concert, but never unfocused. Everything relied on listening and trust. The Fantasia Orchestra did not just accompany. They were the engine of the night, pulling the audience through shifting moods with so much energy, precision and a sense of fun.
At the centre, Jasdeep Singh Degun felt less like a soloist and more like a connector. His sitar moved through the sound rather than sitting on top of it. Sometimes it blended so closely you almost lost it, then it would return, bright and clear. It carried both the story and the atmosphere, holding everything together without forcing it.
The programme could have felt mixed, but it worked. Degun’s own pieces sat alongside Jean-Philippe Rameau and minimalist works by Terry Riley and Philip Glass. The connections became clear in the repetition and slow shifts, which felt shared across styles.
Rameau brought some of the strongest moments. In Tristes Apprêts, the sitar took the vocal line with real sensitivity. It did not imitate the voice, it reshaped it. The result felt both familiar and new at the same time. Earlier, the Thunderstorm from Platée added contrast with its sharp energy, a reminder that the programme needed that shift in tone.
Rhythm was at the centre of everything. Gurdain Rayatt on tabla was incredible, acting as the heartbeat of the evening. His playing grounded the music and kept it moving, often pulling your focus as much as the melody.
This really came through in Riley’s In C, which was one of the most striking parts of the night. Degun and Rayatt, with their backs to the orchestra all the time and unable to take cues, followed it almost instinctively. It felt less like coordination and more like shared instinct. The lead violinist was turning from time to time towards Degun, listening closely to his rhythm, and everything seemed to settle into a pulse created in the moment.
That sense of negotiation defined the evening. The differences in rhythm and structure were not smoothed out. Instead, they were explored. Eastern and Western approaches met through listening and adjusting, creating something that felt alive rather than fixed.
The final piece, Arya, brought everything together. It felt calm and resolved, as if the music had found its balance.
The sound itself was also handled with care. In a space like this, balance can easily slip, but here the sitar, tabla and strings sat clearly together.
This was not just a collaboration but a real meeting of traditions, handled with care and confidence. It showed how music can bring different voices together without losing what makes them distinct.