Raagaverse + Strings
Vancouver Independent Music Centre Society (VIM) presents:
RAAGAVERSE + STRINGS
Featuring
Shruti Ramani, vocals | Noah Franche-Nolan, piano | James Meger, bass | Trent Otter, drums
Meredith Bates, violin | Joshua Zubot, violin | Parmela Attariwala, viola | Marina Hasselberg,cello
Thursday, October 15, 2026 at The Annex, 823 Seymour
7:30 pm, box office/ lobby opens at 6:30 pm; theatre opens at 7 pm
This Concert takes place on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples.
About The Show
Raagaverse + Strings reimagines the music of Raagaverse through the rich and expressive sound world of
string quartet. Raagaverse has long been inspired by the depth, warmth, and cinematic possibilities that
strings bring, expanding the palette of its music while deepening the dialogue between Hindustani classical
traditions, jazz harmony, and improvisation.
The inspiration for this project began with Naina featured on Raagaverse’s debut album Jaya, where Western
cinematic strings composition combined with Hindustani melodic language and jazz quartet textures to reveal
a compelling new direction for the ensemble. That experience showed how naturally these musical worlds
could come together and sparked the vision for a full-length strings project.
The program will feature newly imagined arrangements of some of the defining works from Jaya, alongside
brand-new compositions that will be part of an upcoming second release. All of the string arrangements and
new works are being created collaboratively by Noah Franche-Nolan and Shruti Ramani, building on the
musical language developed as they explore new sonic possibilities for Raagaverse.
About Raagaverse
Raagaverse Cultural Society is a non-profit organization whose mandate is to support the creation and
production of innovative music, poetry, and art that brings together different cultures, styles and expressions.
The Society supports projects that empower BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+ and other marginalized communities to
create and express their experience, ideas and vision. It curates and presents events and workshops that bring
diverse musical traditions from around the world to Canadian audiences.