Hot on the heels of yesterday’s inaugural Music Scholars’ lunchtime concert in the new concert-hall (about which more anon), comes the second in this term’s Lunchtime Concert series.

The Gulbenkian Theatre will host a visit from sitar-player Jonathan Mayer, together with tabla-player Mitel Purohit, in a lunchtime of Indian music.

Son of John Mayer, founder of the Indo-Jazz fusion movement in the 70’s together with British saxophonist Joe Harriott in the great Mayer-Harriott Double Quintet recordings, this is a particularly exciting visit from an eminent international performer.

Jonathan is currently one of the most versatile sitarists in the world, having studied both Indian & western music. From these traditions he has created a unique creativity towards the sitar, seeing it as a instrument and not a genre. He has worked with a diverse range of artists, including Paul Weller, Kathryn Tickell, BBC Concert Orchestra Kumar Bose, Kavita Krishnamutri, Kuljit Bhamra, Erich Gruenburg, Rohan De Saram, Kenny Wheeler, The Orlando Consort, John Wilson, Bombay Dub Orchestra, Future Sounds of London, Sarah Brightman, Noel Gallagher, and Sir Paul McCartney.

The concert starts at 1.10pm; admission is free, with a suggested donation of £3. See also the online diary of events here.