Ankit Patel has spent over a decade training on the shehnai, a traditional Indian oboe, under a renowned teacher in Mumbai. But while he had a place to learn the instrument, Patel needed a place where he could share that talent with others.
Patel didn’t want to play on his own, but rather perform with other world musicians who were masters of their own instruments. That’s how he came up with the idea for the Surya Ensemble, which will be playing its show “Elements” across the state throughout the year.
The group, composed of six different musicians, has upcoming shows at the Lawrenceville Arts Center on Sept. 12, SCADshow on Oct. 10, and at the Brookhaven International Festival on Oct. 20. “Surya” is a Sanskrit word that means “sun,” and their show “Elements” fuses together music, dance, lights and spoken word to embody each of the four elements – earth, water, wind and fire.
“The goal is to really showcase our talent, showcase our music, showcase our diversity, and have another genre and different sort of style in the music scene,” Patel said. “Something that we personally enjoy.”
In addition to Patel, the group includes Michelle Winters, a violinist; Catherine Evergreen, who plays viola; Sean Thrower on guitar; Nima Ghadiri, who plays a Middle Eastern frame drum called a daf; and Maria Martynova, a dancer.
Patel’s main goal when bringing together the musicians who would come to form Surya, as well as when composing the music they would play, was to blend together global styles of music, bridging a gap between the East and the West. Of the six members, three represent the East and three represent the West.
“There are some pieces where it’s pure East and West,” Patel said. “There are some pieces that are pure Eastern, some pieces that are pure Western. But there’s a flow through the show.”
Ankit Patel plays the shehnai during “Elements.” (Photo courtesy Brave PR). 
Sean Thrower stands at the front of the stage during Surya’s “Elements” show (Photo courtesy Brave PR). 
Catherine Evergreen plays the viola during “Elements.” (Photo courtesy Brave PR). 
Nima Ghadiri plays the daf, a Middle Eastern frame drum, during “Elements.” (Photo courtesy Brave PR). 
Michelle Winters plays the violin with Surya Ensemble during “Elements” (Photo courtesy Brave PR).
The show features Patel’s compositions interspersed with voiceover that connects each element to the next. Each song embodies a specific element, with colored lights helping to set the tone and ambiance while the music plays on. Every ensemble member takes their moment to shine with a solo and speaks directly to the audience, explaining how they came to play their instrument and their connection to music as a whole.
Patel said if you could compare Surya’s sound to anything, it would be a more intimate version of the Greek composer and musician Yanni. While attending a Yanni concert at the Fox Theatre, Patel was inspired by the unique instruments and backing tracks Yanni used, both of which can be found in Surya’s performance. But there was also one thing present at the concert he wanted to avoid.
“It was amazing – don’t get me wrong – I had a great time. But I saw all these instruments, and I just heard it through the speaker. I’m just like, I could have just watched it at home on my big screen,” Patel said. “Obviously, being there and the ambience makes a difference as well. But as a musician … when [Sean Thrower ] plays the guitar, when [Michelle Winters] plays the violin, when I play the shehnai, you feel it. You actually feel and hear the grit of the instrument, and there’s beauty in that.”
Patel doesn’t want to lose that sense of intimacy, so going bigger in scale is not necessarily something he or the rest of the group sees in their future. Patel’s vision for Surya’s growth doesn’t include moving out of smaller venues into big stadiums, but rather doing more shows so more people have an opportunity to experience the performance.
Each member of Surya emphasized that intimate connection when they spoke about how they hoped the concert would make audiences feel, whether it be pushing audiences to go out of their comfort zone when it comes to their listening habits, or making them feel inspired and entertained. Maria Martynova, who dances for the group and hails from Russia, said she hoped the performance would inspire a feeling of fulfillment for anyone who attended.
“When people see and hear music, they feel very inspired, because art, music and dancing is a part of [our] nature,” Martynova said. “[I want the audience to] just be happy inside their hearts.”
