Nature and Narratives

An immersive production featuring rare traditional instruments, exploring themes of nature and belonging. Featuring acclaimed artists from India, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Thailand. Chethan Anant – Bansuri & Vocals Tzu Tsen Wu – Plucked Instruments Chamni Sripraram (Ajarn Chamni) – Thai Xylophone Solo (Ranad Ek) Pak Ngurah Ensemble: Gusti Ngurah Kertayda Artist Lineup & Bios: Chethan Anant: Chicago-based Indian classical musician, multi-instrumentalist, and educator blending Hindustani classical music with jazz, Carnatic, blues, and electronic collaborations. Founder of The Bansurist LLC. Tzu Tsen Wu: Taiwanese musician specializing in zhongruan and liuqin, also playing ukulele, guitar, piano, banjo, and jakhee. Performs internationally and teaches while pursuing a master’s in World Music at Northern Illinois University. Chamni Sripraram (Ajarn Chamni) is a Thai music educator who teaches at Northern Illinois University and has led performances, workshops, and cultural outreach at institutions across the U.S. since starting his career at Chicago’s Thai Temple in 1996, while also serving as longtime artistic director of the Thai Cultural and Fine Arts Institute. His decades of cultural and community service have earned him honors including the Asian American Hall of Fame, the Asian Humanitarian Award, and the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Pak Ngurah Ensemble: Gusti Ngurah Kertayda, Lead, is a graduate of the National Performing Arts Institute (KOKAR) in Denpasar, Indonesia. He is now the director of Indonesian Dance of Illinois, a non-profit organization in the greater Chicago area promoting Indonesian culture through dance and music.