A Transformative New
Music Initiative
Conceptualized and spearheaded by Sandeep Das, Transcending Borders One Note at a Time (TBONT) is a response to recent world events and a concerted effort to harness the transformative power of music to catalyze positive social change. TBONT brings together masters of artistic traditions from across the globe to produce new works that are uniquely innovative yet deeply rooted in their original cultural heritage, then takes them beyond the concert hall and into local communities through a variety of outreach activities. Implemented through performances, talks/presentations and community engagement, the project aims to provide an artistic platform for dialogue about the importance of celebrating cultural diversity, empathizing with the perspectives of others, and recognizing all humanity as our global community.
Transcending Borders was launched in 2020 as part of the release of the HUM Ensemble’s debut album, Delhi to Damascus. Subsequent initiatives include Delhi to Shiraz (supported by the Guggenheim Foundation), Delhi to Istanbul (premiered at the Lincoln Center), and Delhi to Kabul, which was developed in residence at Dartmouth College and debuted at the Hopkins Center for the Performing Arts. In conjunction with these activities, Das has since been programming multimedia talks and activities based on TBONT goals at venues, community centers, and major universities throughout the U.S.
SANAWBAR
A short story by Afghani author/poet Homeira Qaderi commissioned by Sandeep Das and Dartmouth College as part of the world premiere of Delhi to Kabul.
This work is Homeira's reinterpretation of Kabuliwala, a short story by the famous Bengali author/poet Rabindranath Tagore, who was the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.
RECENT EVENTS
Lincoln Center
2023 • New York, New York
DePauw University
2023 • Greencastle, IN
Carolina Performing Arts
2022 • Chapel Hill, NC
Chan Centre
2023 • Vancouver, Canada
National Gallery of Art
2022 • Washington, D.C.
The Ware Center
2022 • Millersville, PA
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(2024) Residency at Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
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(2023) Residency at The Hopkins Center/Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
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(2023) Performance at Lincoln Center, New York, NY
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(2023) Residency at DePauw University, Greencastle, IN
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(2022) Performance at National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
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(2022) Residency at Millersville University, Millersville, PA
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(2022) Performance at Carolina Performing Arts, Chapel Hill, NC
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(2022) Residency at the University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
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(2021) Performance and outreach at the Lincoln Crossroads Music Festival
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(2021) Residency at Butler University
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(2020) Delhi to Damascus album launch
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(2019) Performance at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art, Washington, D.C.
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(2019) Residency at Colby College, Waterville, ME
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(2019) Performance at Blackstone River Theatre, Providence, RI
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(2018) Performance at Cal Performances, Berkeley, CA