The Unity Spiritual Enrichment Center in Port Townsend is hosting another round of Indian musicians, courtesy of Richard Russell, but Sunday, Oct. 11, is set to present Russell alongside a pair of “master musicians” whose talents he finds intimidating.

Just as Russell specializes in the 25-string sarod, Shree Anjan Saha is known for his skill on the sitar, while Pandit Arup Chattopadhyay is accomplished on the tabla, the two-piece hand-drum that’s a signature percussion instrument in North Indian classical music.

“These two are heavyweights of Indian music,” Russell said. “While I’ve been fortunate enough to learn from masters as an American when I was older, they’ve been raised with and  inculcated in the cultural nuances and traditions of Indian music.”

As intimidated as Russell was by the prospect of performing alongside Saha and Chattopadhyay, he also couldn’t resist the opportunity to test his skills.

“It promised to be a delightful challenge,” said Russell, who connected with the Indian musicians as tapping into the pure source of traditions he’d learned from Indian music maestros. “You always approach with respect, and even if you can’t play as fast, or you don’t know as many rāgas, having been trained in the same families of musical traditions allows you to recognize the same musical structures. Even if you don’t know the person, and you don’t speak their language, you can speak that language.”

Russell is excited to play with Saha, not only because “he’s one of the top-level sitar players in the world,” but also because the sitar and the sarod (Russell’s own instrument) “are practically made to be played together, even though it’s relatively rare to hear them together. They interpret the music in complementary ways.”

Russell is likewise enthusiastic about Chattopadhyay, whom he considers “a superb tabla player,” in addition to being “just a really nice guy, beyond all the mystique.”

Saha apprenticed under Guru Pandit Debiprosad Chatterjee of Maihar Gharana, and has been training under Pandit Tejendranarayan Majumder.

Saha received the National Scholarship from the Indian government’s Ministry of Culture in 1992 and 1998, is a graded artist of Prasar Bharati, had the Jadu Bhatta Award conferred to him by the Salt Lake Cultural Association in 2020, and teaches at Rabindra Bharati University.

Chattopadhyay started his musical training at a young age with his father, Pandit Pankaj Chattopadhyay, himself an eminent tabla artist, before coming under the tutelage of tabla maestro Pandit Shankar Ghosh.

Russell described Chattopadhyay as “one of the finest and one of the most sought after tabla artists of this generation,” as well as “one of the top accompanists(and) a soloist at the international level,” whose performances “are admired for their exceptional tonal quality, clarity and a deep compositional repertoire, all presented with an innate sense of rhythm and melody.”

Chattopadhyay has been a visiting lecturer with the University of California, San Diego, and has also served as a Professor of Tabla at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (Institute of Indian Culture) at London.

As for Russell, he’s a longtime disciple of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, who trained him in both the instrumental and vocal tradition of the Seni-Maihar Gharana, founded by Acharya Baba Allauddin Khan.

Russell began his musical studies as a keyboard player, but after spending a year in Asia studying Indian music, he attended the Ali Akbar College of Music in California, and completed a master’s degree in Hindustani classical music from Antioch University.

Russell is a private teacher of Indian classical music in both the vocal and instrumental styles of his lineage, serving the Seattle area.

The concert runs from 4-6 p.m. at 3918 San Juan Ave., and tickets are available online and at the door.