Following its historic, sold-out debut in New Hampshire in 2023, the critically acclaimed Symphony Masala concert returns this October to Illinois with the Chicago Sinfonietta for two spectacular performances. This vibrant celebration of culture, music, and light—timed perfectly with Diwali, the Festival of Lights—will take place at:

• Wentz Concert Hall, Naperville, IL – Friday, October 17, 2025 at 7:00 PM
• Studebaker Theater, Chicago, IL – Saturday, October 18, 2025 at 7:00 PM

Titled “Light the Way. Feel the Rhythm.”, the 2025 edition of Symphony Masala promises a soul-stirring journey through Bollywood classics, global symphonic masterpieces, and transcultural storytelling.

A Night Where Cultures Converge

The evening opens with Symphony Masala, a groundbreaking reimagining of Bollywood’s most beloved melodies arranged for a Western symphony orchestra—without the use of traditional Indian instrumentation. The performance features Indian-American vocal powerhouse Anuradha “Juju” Palakurthi, accompanied by a full orchestra under the baton of Roger Kalia, multi-Solti award-winning conductor and former Freeman Conducting Fellow.

“Symphony Masala was conceived to bring iconic Bollywood melodies to Western audiences through symphonic orchestration that is both accessible and portable,” said Ms. Anuradha “Juju” Palakurthi, co-producer of the concert and founder of Juju Productions. “It offers a vibrant taste of over a century of Bollywood music, serving as a joyful bridge between East and West.”

The evening will also pay homage to the historic 2007 Chicago Sinfonietta performance in which founding conductor Paul Freeman passed the baton to Maestra Chen.

A Legacy Born in New Hampshire

The first Symphony Masala concert was performed on October 21, 2023, at the Nashua Center for the Arts in New Hampshire as part of Symphony New Hampshire’s centennial season. That event marked a turning point in cross-cultural orchestral programming, bringing together musicians from the U.S. and Mumbai to develop original symphonic scores for Bollywood songs—without Indian instruments.

“It was probably the first such concert in the United States,” “Juju” Palakurthi said after the inaugural performance. “It was a dream to elevate Indian music onto the symphonic stage, and a true honor to debut it with the oldest professional orchestra in New Hampshire.”

About the Artists and Organizers

Anuradha “Juju” Palakurthi is an award-winning singer known for her extraordinary vocal range and deep roots in Indian classical and popular music. She was the first U.S.-based artist to win Radio Mirchi’s Best Independent Song Award, often referred to as India’s version of the Grammys. She has collaborated with Bollywood legends including Javed Akhtar, Anu Malik, Kumar Sanu, Suresh Wadkar, Salim–Sulaiman, Mika Singh, Hariharan, Ustad Rashid Khan, and was a featured artist in the Filmfare Award-winning series “Times of Music.”

Roger Kalia is a rising star in the American orchestral scene and a three-time recipient of the prestigious Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award. He is known for blending classical and contemporary worlds with innovative programming and community engagement.

Juju Productions, based in Boston, MA, is a music and video production company founded by Palakurthi that develops cross-cultural creative projects rooted in Indian tradition but designed to resonate globally.

Symphony New Hampshire (SNH) is the oldest professional orchestra in the Granite State, with a mission to connect communities through the transformative power of music.

Ticket Information

Tickets for both Illinois performances are on sale now through the venue box offices.

Visit the Wentz Concert Hall or Studebaker Theater websites to reserve your seats.