For centuries, Indian classical musicians depended on a patron: a raja, a nawab, a wealthy household that kept them close. At the India Music Retreat in Jaipur, the magazine Frontline argues, that role is passing to the listener.
MuseMusic held the second edition of the India Music Retreat at the Fairmont Jaipur from 18 to 21 September 2026, with concerts, conversations and shared meals, and the audience staying on site alongside the musicians.
What is the India Music Retreat?
The India Music Retreat is a residential music festival run by MuseMusic at the Fairmont Jaipur. Guests stay at the hotel for several days of concerts, talks and meals, with music on more than one stage and in the building’s informal corners. The first edition was held in September 2025, and the second followed in September 2026.
A new darbar
Writing in Frontline, Deepa Ganesh describes the retreat as a new kind of darbar, the royal court where musicians once performed for a ruler. Here, she suggests, it is the listeners, who choose to stay and listen together, who are shaping taste. On stage, the programme pulled in different directions: Hindustani masters held close to their tradition, while Carnatic experimenters and Sufi pop performers pushed at its edges.
The format also makes room for musicians who rarely get the spotlight. The first edition was built around sessions such as Song of the Unsung, a tribute to the accompanists whose playing shapes every concert, and Maestro’s Choice, in which Aruna Sairam introduced a promising young artist.
Why the India Music Retreat matters
A concert hall gives you two hours and a seat. A retreat gives you breakfast with the tabla player and a late-night conversation about the raga you heard at dusk. The format is intimate by design, and it sits alongside other experiments in how classical music reaches people today. In London, the Darbar Festival has carried the same idea in its name for years.
For more news related to Indian classical music, go to the news section: www.nothokpit.com/news-concerts/
Sources: Frontline, “The new darbar” by Deepa Ganesh; MuseMusic, official site; Radio and Music, on the first edition