Gig theatre may be an unexpected form for a classically-trained Karnatik singer, but this is a story that Aditya Prakash can’t tell with music alone. Join us on the incomparable multimedia journey of ROOM-i-Nation, a thoughtful and compelling exploration of identity and tradition through the lens of music and storytelling. Prakash’s ROOM-i-Nation weaves together the threads of Karnatik classical music with the history of Asian immigration and stories of identity and belonging to offer a nuanced take on navigating two worlds.

ROOM-i-Nation brings to life Aditya’s 2023 album ISOLASHUN using live music, a soundscape, an Akram Khan dance film specific to the project, video projection, and personal stories to illuminate the immigrant and diasporic experience and offer a hopeful look at bridging cultures, generations, and musical traditions. ROOM-i-Nation invites us all to reflect on our stories of belonging and authenticity. The project draws from Aditya's experiences growing up in Los Angeles, training in India, performing from a young age, and his deep engagement with Karnatik music and contemporary sounds. His narrative is one of discovery, challenging traditional boundaries while embracing a complex identity. It's an acknowledgment of the richness that comes from embracing our multifaceted selves and the art that emerges from this acceptance.

Aditya Prakash is a visionary artist who has found a way to speak to everyone while speaking in his own language. Tigran Hamasyan

Aditya has made a work that transcends any particular genre of music. It is both personal and universal.
Akram Khan

Rather like a living room concert on a much grander scale, Aditya Prakash’s scintillating new work draws you in through the strength of its story, the clever and surprising way it tells it and, most impressively, the range and beauty of the music.
Lisa Wolfe, FringeReview.com, May 22. 2025

…A rich journey through Indian musical heritage…
Vidya Thirunaraya for FringeReview.com, May 22, 2025

ROOM-i-Nation is commissioned by
The Center for the Art of Performance, UCLA
World Premiere, October 4-5, 2024

Major Funding
Creative Residency Grant, Jazz Road, a Program of South Arts
Los Angeles County Performing Arts Recovery Grant

Additional Support
Kalapriya Center for the Indian Performing Arts (Chicago)
BrittenPears Arts (UK)
Annonymous

Photography by Gema Galiana Photography