Gulf conflict hits artistes’ tour plans, forces route rejig, defers events

Kolkata: The escalation in West Asia after the US–Iran war is creating immediate logistical and financial uncertainty for Indian classical musicians who tour internationally. With airspace closures, rerouted flights, heightened security checks, and sudden visa or transit restrictions, artistes are facing missed connections and unpredictable travel times that make tightly scheduled concert circuits difficult to sustain.For many musicians, the disruption carries financial consequences, including non-refundable tickets, additional accommodation costs, and the risk of losing performance fees when appearances cannot be fulfilled on time. Tabla player Anubrata Chatterjee has a 60-day tour in the US as part of the Ravi Shankar Ensemble, a multi-generational collective dedicated to the compositions and legacy of the sitarist. In its debut tour, the ensemble will present a programme curated by Sukanya and Anoushka Shankar, featuring visual elements from the Ravi Shankar archives alongside a dynamic selection of Shankar's music.Chatterjee's first concert is on March 16 in Albany, before he proceeds to perform in Ridgefield, Princeton, Washington, New York City, Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, Livermore, Seattle, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Atlanta, Boston and Raleigh. "I am performing in the US for the Ravi Shankar Ensemble, and my own project with Rakesh Chaurasia, Selva Ganesh, and George Brooks. I actually just came back from New York last Sunday with no issue. The Ravi Shankar Ensemble team is looking for alternative routes for me and the team to reach Albany in time," Chatterjee said. This period of the year is typically one of the busiest for touring musicians, with many Indian classical artistes travelling to the US and Europe for concert seasons, lecture-demonstrations, and collaborations. Most of these itineraries rely on transit hubs like Doha and Dubai, which serve as primary gateways for long-haul connections. Pt Bickram Ghosh received the offer to be the artistic director of Venice Biennale 2026. All plans were chalked out for him to travel to Venice for a recce of the venues. "I was supposed to fly out on March 8 for five days. After the war broke out, the trip got deferred," Ghosh said. Austin-based tabla player Pt Gourishankar Karmakar was scheduled to fly from India to the US on March 2 via Qatar Airways to perform at a March 6 live concert in Berkeley honouring Ustad Zakir Hussain. "However, my flight was cancelled due to the evolving geopolitical situation, forcing me to rearrange my travel plans at the last minute. To honour my commitment, I urgently rebooked a flight from Delhi to San Francisco at nearly three times the original cost," Karmakar said. Some, who have concerts in the middle of the year, are equally worried. Tour dates are already in place but the greater worry is about getting the visa processed on time before the tour begins.One such musician is guitarist Pt Debashish Bhattacharya. "I have to travel to the US in June. Though the tour is far away, I am still worried about whether the visa application process will be impacted by the ongoing crisis," said guitarist Pt Debashish Bhattacharya.