Poignant Tribute: Third Coast Percussion & Salar Nader Team Up To Remember Zakir Hussain

India-West Staff Reporter

BERKELEY, CA — Grammy Award-winning ensemble Third Coast Percussion joins forces with tabla virtuoso Salar Nader for ‘Murmurs in Time,’ a poignant musical tribute to the late maestro Zakir Hussain, on November 1 at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall.

The centerpiece of the evening, ‘Murmurs in Time,’ represents the final creative vision of Hussain, one of the most revered figures in world percussion. Commissioned by Third Coast Percussion, the composition fuses the rhythmic intricacy of Hindustani classical music with the ensemble’s signature contemporary soundscape.

Nader—who began studying under Hussain at age seven and has carried forward his guru’s legacy through decades of performance and training in Mumbai—steps into the master’s role, performing the tabla part Hussain originally conceived for himself.

The program extends beyond this tribute, featuring works by some of today’s most dynamic composers and performers. Jessie Montgomery’s ‘Lady Justice’ and ‘Black Justice, The Song’ explore themes of equity and resilience through sound, while Jlin’s ‘Please Be Still’ brings the avant-garde pulse of electronic music into dialogue with live percussion.

Tigran Hamasyan’s ‘Sonata for Percussion’ showcases the Armenian jazz pianist’s complex rhythmic structures and cross-cultural influences. Nader will also offer a solo tabla performance, highlighting his deep mastery of classical form and improvisation.

Presented by Cal Performances, tickets priced between $33 and $86, are available at https://secure.calperformances.org/27708/27722 or by calling 510-642-9988.

More information can be found on the event page at https://calperformances.org/events/2025-26/new-music/third-coast-percussion-and-salar-nader-tabla-murmurs-in-time/.