THSO Opens 100th Season with Sandeep Das and Roger Kalia
On September 13, 2025 at 7:30pm the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra (THSO) is excited to open their 100th season as the oldest professional symphony in Indiana with Tabla & Titan featuring Indian tabla master Sandeep Das and the debut of Roger Kalia as Music Director. The concert will open with a world-premiere performance of Centennial Fanfare by Dan Powers, commissioned by the THSO to celebrate their 100th Season. The orchestra will then welcome Sandeep Das for Dinuk Wijeratne’s Tabla Concerto. The concert will close with Gustav Mahler’s powerful and electrifying Symphony No. 1, subtitled “Titan.”
About Sandeep Das
Sandeep Das, tabla
Hailed as a “creator of myths with Houdini-like skills” (The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia), Sandeep Das is one of the leading Indian tabla virtuosos in the world today. Debuting at the age of 17 with legendary Sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, he went on to establish a prolific international career that now spans more than three decades. He has collaborated with top musicians and ensembles from across the globe such as Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, with whom he has performed for the past 21 years, as well as Paquito D’Rivera, Bobby McFarin, and iconic orchestras like the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, and Chicago Symphony, among others.
A Grammy winning-musician and Guggenheim Fellow, Das’ groundbreaking new music projects sit at the crucible of ancient tradition and modern innovation, enchanting audiences worldwide with “flawless playing” (Songlines Magazine, U.K.) and a “roadmap for irresistible aural adventures” (Downbeat Magazine, USA). His original compositions have been performed in over 50 countries at venues like China’s Forbidden City Concert Hall, Australia’s Sydney Opera House, and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California. Transcending Borders One Note at a Time, his most recent project, was launched in 2020 to widespread international acclaim, and seeks to harness the power of music to create positive social change.
Driven by a vision for a brighter future, Das is the founder of Harmony and Universality through Music (HUM), a nonprofit organization in India that has promoted global understanding through music performance and provided learning opportunities and scholarships for visually-impaired children with artistic potential since 2009. He is also an active public speaker, and has presented at The New York Encounter, The EG Conference, TEDx events, and multiple university residencies. In 2015, he established Das Tabla School, where he currently trains musicians from 6+ countries both online and in-person in Boston, MA.
About Roger Kalia
Praised for bringing a “fresh view to classical music” (The Republic), Indian American conductor Roger Kalia is a versatile communicator who brings unique and unmistakable energy to the podium.
Roger Kalia, Music Director
Kalia is now in his sixth season as Music Director of the Evansville Philharmonic, in his eighth season with Orchestra Santa Monica, and recently completed six seasons with Symphony New Hampshire. He will join the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra as Music Director beginning in the 2025-26 season. Kalia also serves as Music Director & Co-Founder of the Lake George Music Festival, which has been described as “an unparalleled classical music experience in the Adirondacks” (Chronogram).
In recent seasons, Kalia has appeared with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, Chicago Sinfonietta, Louisiana Philharmonic, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Szczecin Philharmonic (Poland), Hollywood Chamber Orchestra, Boise Philharmonic, Spartanburg Philharmonic, Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, and the symphony orchestras of Lima, Adrian, Bakersfield, Great Falls, Owensboro, Spokane, Amarillo, and Wheeling.
Kalia has collaborated with a wide range of artists including singer Jubilant Sykes (appointed as Orchestra Santa Monica’s inaugural artistic partner); Grammy-winning trio Time for Three; Indian tabla virtuoso Sandeep Das; singer/songwriters Randy Newman and Randy Jackson; rock musicians Johnny Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls and Nancy Wilson of Heart; and actor Jack Black. He continues to be a sought-after interpreter of film scores including recent performances of Star Wars: A New Hope.
Kalia currently resides in Indiana with his wife, musicologist and violinist Christine Wisch, and their newborn son Adrian.
Sponsors
Tabla & Titan is proudly sponsored by Carolyn Steinbaugh, David & Barbara Hagerman, and Jo Einstandig. This concert is also made possible in part by Arts Illiana, the Indiana Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Supper at the Symphony
Make it a date night with a concert and Supper at the Symphony! Come to the concert early and enjoy a delectable three-course meal served in the Heritage Ballroom of Tirey Hall, right down the hall from Tilson Auditorium. The cash bar opens at 5:00pm, and dinner is served promptly at 5:30pm. Dinner reservations are $30 per person. Patrons will enjoy an Indian inspired menu with a Kachumber Salad to start and a choice of one entrée of either Butter Chicken, Basil Pesto Salmon, or Pasta Alfredo. The Butter Chicken entrée is served with Naan, Aloo Mater, and Palak Paneer. The Salmon entrée will be served with Herb Roasted Potatoes and Grilled Asparagus. Flourless Chocolate Cake will be served for dessert. Reservations can be made at www.thso.org or by calling the THSO office at (812) 242-8476. Reservations close at 12pm on Tuesday, September 9.
Concert Conversations
Join Music Director Roger Kalia and guest artist Sandeep Das for an interview during Concert Conversations in the Heritage Ballroom in Tirey Hall on the campus of Indiana State University before the concert at 6:45pm. FREE to all concert ticket holders!
Concert Tickets
Patrons can purchase concert tickets by visiting www.thso.org or calling the Hulman Center at (812) 237-3737. Ticket prices for adults are $22, $52, and $67. Student and youth tickets are $8, $14, and $18. Prices already include facility and venue fees.
Accessible Entrance & Parking
Patrons can also be dropped off behind Tirey Hall in the alley between Fairbanks and Tilson for direct access to the elevator or enter through the ground level at the front of Tilson Auditorium via the downstairs lobby. Signage will be posted at the venue with directions to the elevator.
Parking
Patrons may park in the Indiana State University Parking garage located at 750 Cherry Street for free between 4 PM and 11 PM on the day of the concert. This parking garage is located across the street from Tilson Auditorium.