Mandala Arts

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presents:

✨Round Robin Improv Session Part 1 ✨

📅 July 12th | 6pm
📍iO Theater (1501 N Kingsbury St Ave)
🎟️ $20 Link in bio

Join us for a special night of improvisational music and dance by some of Chicago’s most creative musicians working in the field of South Asian music, both individually and as members of bands pushing the Chicago cultural landscape forward.

In line with the 2026 Makers Festival theme of ‘Live Composition and Improvisation’, the musicians will be seated on stage together in a semicircle, performing together for the very first time as a collective. They will each showcase their musical talents solo, but also share and create something brand new as duos, trios, and a full quartet. The performers and audience alike will be on the edge of their seats for this singular musical journey.

Featuring:
Rahul Sharma (Funkadesi) on bass and sitar
Lucia Thomas (Ochin Pakhi) on violin
Krissy Bermark (Sprig of That) on tabla
Sonny Patel (Do the Needful) on bansuri flute

Raji Venkat, Dance

Siddharth Devarajan, mridanham

What an incredible moment!

On June 20th, we had the honor of performing at the Grand Opening of the Obama Presidential Center. It was a beautiful afternoon that brought music, dance, storytelling and joy to the Plaza.
We are so grateful to have been a part of a weekend built on community, connection and culture

This Thursday!

2026 continues with Juan Pastor’s Chinchano live at Mahalia Jackson Court on June 25th from 6–8 PM 🌍🥁🎶 Join us for an evening of vibrant live music as we activate public spaces across Chicago throughout the summer. See you there!

Grand opening of the on June 20 with Mandala ensemble

Immerse yourself in Indian classical dance tomorrow at visceral center with the very talented Yamini Kolluri

Kritya Foundation (@kritya_foundation) • Instagram photos and videos 2,726 Followers, 29 Following, 383 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Kritya Foundation ()

From world-class performances to community storytelling and public art, Mandala South Asian Performing Arts invites you to experience a season of creativity, connection, and cultural exchange.

🎭 Mandala Makers Festival

A celebration of live composition, improvisation, and artistic collaboration featuring acclaimed artists from Chicago and around the world.

🎼 Round Robin Improv Jam Session
📅 July 12 | 6 PM | 📍 i/O Theater
🎟 https://dashboard.eventcombo.com/events/round-robin-improv-jam-session

💃 Arushi Mudgal: Odissi Classical Dance
📅 September 11 | 6:30 PM | 📍 Constellation Chicago
🎟 https://wl.eventim.us/event/arushi-mudgal-odissi-classical-dance

🎹 Sanctuary: Vijay Iyer, Alam Khan & Nitin Mitta
📅 September 12 | 7 PM | 📍 Epiphany Center for the Arts
🎟 https://epiphanychi.com

🎸 Fareed Haque & Selvaganesh Vinayakram
📅 September 13 | 7 PM | 📍 i/O Theater
🎟 https://dashboard.eventcombo.com

🚇 Mandala Arts Red Line Project

Free live jazz performances transforming CTA spaces into stages across Chicago.

📍 June 25 | Mahalia Jackson Court
📍 July 2 | Sox-35th Station
📍 July 30 | Cermak-Chinatown Station & Chinatown Visitor Center
📍 August 13 | Argyle Station
📍 August 27 | Taylor Park
📍 September 10 | 95th/Dan Ryan Station
📍 October 16 | Harris Theater for Music and Dance

🧵 Tapestries Toward the Future

Share a treasured item and its story in this community art workshop led by Mandala artist Marvin Veloso. Participants will contribute to a collaborative tapestry celebrating memory, identity, and connection.

📅 July 9 & July 17
🕠 5:30–7:30 PM
📍 Nichols Library, Naperville
🎟 Register: https://tinyurl.com/Tapestry26

Join us this summer and fall as we celebrate music, movement, memory, and community.

We are thrilled to announce our upcoming performance! Join us for the grand opening of the on July 20 at 1:00pm-1:45pm

2026 continues with Juan Pastor’s Chinchano live at Mahalia Jackson Court on June 25th from 6–8 PM 🌍🥁🎶 Join us for an evening of vibrant live music as we activate public spaces across Chicago throughout the summer. See you there!

✨Round Robin Improv Session Part 1 ✨

📅 July 12th | 6pm
📍iO Theater (1501 N Kingsbury St Ave)
🎟️ $20 Link in bio

Featuring musicians: Siddharth Devarajan, mridangam; Rahul Sharma, bass, sitar (Funkadesi); Lucia Thomas, violin (Ochin Pakhi); Krissy Bergmark, tabla (Sprig of That); Sonny Patel, bansuri flute (Do The Needful); w/ Special Guest Dancer Raji Venkat.

🌟 Sonny Patel (.is.sonny)🌟

Sonny has performed alongside Rev. Father M.P. George (Director of the Shruti School of Liturgical Music in Kottayam, Kerala, India), the Akshaya Music Academy in Chicago, the South Asian Music Ensemble of the University of Chicago, and Randall Jamrock. Sonny also plays Hindi filmi music from the golden era, in a surf-punk Bollywood cover band called, Do The Needful. Sonny has performed at venues such as Harvard University, Old Town School of Folk Music, The Logan Center for the Arts, UChicago’s The International House and Rockefeller Chapel, Mandel Hall, The Hideout, Empty Bottle, Subterranean, Chicagoland temples, among others and has performed at festivals including World Music Festival Chicago and Chicago’s World Dumpling Festival. Sonny is also an accomplished competitive debate coach, and currently directs Chicago Debates, bringing high caliber extra-curricular activities to students of Chicago Public Schools. He has also served on the Harvard Debate Council. Sonny received his medical doctorate from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Outside of music, Sonny enjoys gardening and hiking with his dog.

✨Round Robin Improv Session Part 1 ✨

📅 July 12th | 6pm
📍iO Theater (1501 N Kingsbury St Ave)
🎟️ $20 Link in bio

Featuring musicians: Siddharth Devarajan, mridangam; Rahul Sharma, bass, sitar (Funkadesi); Lucia Thomas, violin (Ochin Pakhi); Krissy Bergmark, tabla (Sprig of That); Sonny Patel, bansuri flute (Do The Needful); w/ Special Guest Dancer Raji Venkat.

🌟 Rahul Sharma, Psy.D. () 🌟

In 2017, Dr. Sharma was the recipient of the Joyce Foundation Award, where he was commissioned to co-compose a musical piece, “Quantum Englewood,” to provide arts opportunities for youth in high-risk environments. The piece was performed by hundreds of musicians in late 2018. More recently Dr. Sharma led a healing guided visualization for TEDx Chicago in their first in-person event since the pandemic, set to improvised music. As a Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Sharma is passionate about integrating mental health, music and more, focusing on healthy communication, wellness and belonging. He founded Strategic Inclusion Consulting, an agency that transforms work cultures and provides effective and lasting solutions to common workplace challenges. Awarded 2025 Mental Health Champion by Brown Man Therapy for his innovative approach applying arts to healing and growth, Dr. Sharma is passionate about curating transformative experiences in a variety of contexts — keynotes, experiential plenaries, retreats and more. In addition to these pursuits, Dr. Sharma maintains a small private practice. He resides with his family in Evanston, Illinois.