Orpheus returns, raag, rhythm & a new sitar concerto: Jasdeep Singh Degun to be artist in residence at Barbican Centre for 2026/27

Jasdeep Singh Degun (Photo: Govert Driessen)

Leeds-born sitar player and composer Jasdeep Singh Degun continues to push the envelope. His recent concert with Tom Featherstonhaugh and Fantasia Orchestra [see my review] served as a digest of the story so far with excerpts from Degun’s first album and first sitar concerto, yet his most recent album Jogkauns (on Real World Records) is structured as a traditional Indian classical concert, presenting the entirety of the music within a single raag. 

Now, London audiences will get the chance to explore Degun’s work further as it has been announced that he is an artist in residence at the Barbican Centre for the 2026/27 season with three major events planned, building on Degun’s achievement becoming the first British Asian musician to receive the Royal Philharmonic Society
Instrumentalist Award, marking a significant moment in his career and
the wider cultural landscape. 

The residency culminates in the London premiere of critically acclaimed reimagining of Claudio Monteverdi’s Orpheus. Already announced as part of Opera North’s 2026/27 season this is a revival the original 2022 production which combined Monteverdi’s score with new material bringing together artists from Indian and Western classical traditions in a large-scale cross-cultural work. Degun is returning to the work as co-musical director alongside harpsichordist Ashok Gupta, with tenor James Way as Orpheus. Opera North is touring the production with performances at Leeds Playhouse, and in Bradford, Liverpool, Leicester and London’s Barbican.

Monteverdi/Jasdeep Singh Degun: Orpheus – Shahbaz Hussain on tabla, RN Prakash on ghatam, Mark Wagstaff on percussion, Sergio Bucheli on theorbo, Jasdeep Singh Degun on sitar and Andrew Long on violin – Opera North, 2022 (Photo: Tristram Kenton)

Before then there are two other occasions to hear Degun at the Barbican. In October 2026, Degun joins tabla maestro Sukhvinder Singh ‘Pinky’, as part of the Darbar Festival which celebrates the distinct strands of the Indian classical tradition over five days. For their event, Degun and Singh will be guiding audiences through the infinite riches of raag and rhythm.

Then in January 2027 comes the premiere of Degun’s new Sitar Concerto commissioned by the Barbican and premiered by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conductor Kirill Karabits alongside works by John Adams (The Chairman Dances) and Sergei Prokofiev (Symphony No. 7).

Jasdeep Singh Degun commented, “I’ve always seen my work as a part of the wider musical landscape in the UK, moving naturally between different contexts and tradition. This residency allows me to share this in a meaningful way, and marks a significant milestone for me personally. I’m very much looking forward to presenting my music and connecting with new audiences.”