On Saturday, October 7, 2023, at 8:00 p.m., Northampton Arts, Inc., welcomes Priya Darshini with opener Kimaya Diggs at the Academy of Music Theatre, 274 Main Street. Tickets are available at the Academy of Music Theatre Box Office. Priya’s debut at the Academy of Music will feature hammered dulcimer pioneer Max ZT (House of Waters, Karsh Kale), Grammy-nominated cellist Dave Eggar (Michael Brecker, Evanescence, Coldplay), and versatile percussionist-drummer Patrick Duke Graney (Jamey Haddad). Priya Darshini’s performance will explore the intersections between Jazz, Indian Classical music, folk music, and improvisation. Darshini’s goal is to create a one-of-a-kind space where these musical traditions can come together, sparking new and exciting artistic expressions.

Priya was born in Chennai, India, raised in Mumbai, and is based in New York. Priya Darshini’s distinct style takes inspiration from her diverse cultural and life experiences. Rooted in Hindustani Classical music and jazz, and coupled with her improvisational mastery and vast knowledge of music worldwide, Priya’s music is elegant, tranquil, virtuosic, intricately layered, and pushes compositional boundaries. As John Schafer of WNYC remarks, “[Priya Darshini’s] music incorporates a world of influences and lives on the periphery, much like herself.”

In 2020, Priya Darshini released her debut solo album, Periphery, on Chesky Records and was nominated for the GRAMMY® Award for Best New Age Album. In 2021, Variety Magazine listed her among 10 Grammy-Nominated Women to Know, while Tatler Asia listed her among “Six Asian women changing the face of music around the world.” “Priya Darshini’s album, Periphery, stands out as a beacon of hope for cultural unanimity.” – Elle Magazine

Opener Kimaya Diggs was born and raised in western Massachusetts. After moving away for a while, touring with international folk music ensemble Northern Harmony, studying opera, and falling in love with the guitar, Diggs returned to the valley and released her debut album, Breastfed in 2018. LuxDeluxe member Jacob Rosazza co-produced Breastfed, and the single “How Am I Sposta Know” landed in the top ten on 93.9 The River’s Best New Songs of 2018. Her second album, Quincy, was recorded during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. Diggs lost her mother from a long illness, a longtime musical mentor, and her dog during this time. Born from intersecting arcs of grief, Quincy is a joyful album, a story masterfully told in an agile, open-hearted voice that could only come from Kimaya Diggs.

More information about Priya can be found here: https://priyadarshini.com/ and more information about Kimaya can be found here: https://www.kimayadiggs.com/