There are concerts that transport you, and then there are concerts that seem to reimagine the very boundaries of what music can do. On August 12, 2025, Anoushka Shankar—sitar virtuoso and musical innovator—took the stage at London’s Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Proms, delivering a performance that was both deeply personal and boldly experimental. The event was no ordinary recital; it was the orchestral world premiere of her trilogy, Chapters, reimagined for the London Contemporary Orchestra and conducted by Robert Ames. For those lucky enough to be in the packed hall, it was an evening that won’t soon be forgotten.
Shankar’s entrance set the tone for the night. According to theartsdesk.com, she greeted the audience with a warm, slightly awestruck, “Hi... welcome to my Prom… Oh, my God!”—instantly forging a connection with the crowd that was both intimate and electric. She reminisced about her past Proms appearances, including a memorable 2005 performance alongside her father, the legendary Ravi Shankar, and another in 2020 when the hall was eerily empty due to the pandemic. “It’s so much nicer to have you guys all in here,” she confessed, drawing appreciative laughter and applause.
The heart of the evening was Shankar’s Chapters trilogy, a project that has been years in the making. As BroadwayWorld reported, the trilogy is structured around three EPs, each representing a different phase in Shankar’s personal journey: pain, healing, and ultimately, a return to light and empowerment. These musical chapters are also rooted in three geographies that have shaped her life—London, California, and India—giving the suite a sense of emotional and physical movement.
The BBC had commissioned a trio of arrangers—Robert Ames, Cee Haines (CHAINES), and Ian Anderson—to rework the pieces for orchestra, and the result was a seamless, uninterrupted musical journey. The performance featured no traditional Indian percussion like tabla or sarod; instead, the sitar’s voice was surrounded by the lush, cinematic textures of western acoustic instruments. This fusion, as theartsdesk.com pointed out, was a “curious paradox”—a meeting of worlds that could have felt disjointed but instead achieved an unexpected unity.
Each chapter had its own distinct character. The first, Chapter I: Forever, For Now, explored pain and the ephemeral nature of joy. The sitar’s plaintive melodies, steeped in Indian classical tradition, were echoed by the orchestra’s strings and winds, creating moments of profound poignancy. The section ended with “Sleeping Flowers (Awaken Every Spring),” a piece that lifted the mood with a hopeful brightness, as reported by BroadwayWorld.
The second movement, Chapter II: How Dark It Is Before Dawn, was inspired by Shankar’s time in California. It began quietly and reflectively, gradually building momentum as the orchestra and sitar moved together toward a sense of renewal. The highlight, “New Dawn,” saw the tempo and energy rise, with the strings supporting the sitar’s increasing persistence and drive. The effect was one of optimism and warmth, a musical sunrise after a long night.
By the time the third chapter, We Return To Light, arrived, the hall was positively buzzing. This section, rooted in Shankar’s experiences in India, pulsed with energy, hope, and vitality. The piece “Daybreak” evoked the first rays of sunlight filtering through Goan forests, while “Dancing on Scorched Earth” brought a rave-like, funk-infused groove that had the audience on the edge of their seats. The orchestra’s percussion and strings were especially effective here, with the drum kit adding a prog-rock flair and the low brass conjuring a sense of drama and even a hint of “war,” as theartsdesk.com described it. “We Burn So Brightly,” another standout, was described as “almost psychedelic in its trance-like sound and insistent drum beats,” with Shankar’s playing expressing “freedom, liberation and emancipation.”
Throughout, the London Contemporary Orchestra proved itself more than up to the challenge. Conductor Robert Ames, whose enthusiasm was palpable—at times teetering close to the edge of the podium—guided the ensemble through the suite’s shifting moods with precision and passion. The contributions of pianist Kat Tinker were singled out by theartsdesk.com for their ability to set “pace, flow and mood in any new departure in the score.” The orchestra’s understanding of the “ebb and flow, the high octane energy and the reflective poignancy” was evident, and the decision to play the trilogy straight through, without an interval, added to the sense of immersion.
But it was Shankar herself who was the evening’s undeniable center of gravity. Her mastery of the sitar is legendary, but what sets her apart is the way she uses the instrument as an extension of her own voice—expressing pain, hope, and ultimately, resilience. Earlier in 2025, Shankar had spoken publicly about surviving childhood abuse and her journey to recovery, experiences that infuse her music with a raw honesty and emotional depth. As BroadwayWorld observed, “You can almost read the contents of her soul through the notes of her music.”
The performance was broadcast on BBC Four on August 14, 2025, allowing a wider audience to experience what those in the hall witnessed firsthand. Reviews published the following day were effusive in their praise, with descriptors like “spinetingling,” “mystical, magical and mesmerising” capturing the spirit of the night. There was a sense among critics and fans alike that this was not just another concert, but a landmark moment for both Shankar and the Proms.
For Shankar, the evening represented the “culmination of a process”—one that began with pain and ended in a place of strength and power. The orchestral reimagining of Chapters was a risky endeavor, one that could have easily lost its way in translation. Instead, as theartsdesk.com put it, “somehow, together, it all works.” It was a testament to the power of collaboration, the universality of music, and the enduring allure of an artist willing to bare her soul on stage.
For those who believe that music can heal, inspire, and transform, Anoushka Shankar’s Prom was a shining example. Here’s hoping there are many more chapters to come.
