ABOUT
Third Culture Collective
Third Culture Collective is a UK-based arts organisation creating ambitious new work at the intersection of South Asian and Western musical traditions
Founded and directed by British Indian composer, conductor and singer Kavi Pau, Third Culture Collective brings together artists, communities and institutions to create ambitious performances, new music, educational programmes and cultural experiences at the intersection of South Asian and Western musical traditions.
At our core is a belief that culture is not fixed. As generations grow up navigating multiple identities, traditions and influences, new artistic languages emerge. Third Culture Collective exists to explore and celebrate the spaces between cultures, fostering meaningful collaboration and creating what we call a “third culture” of artistic expression.
Our work ranges from large-scale orchestral productions with internationally acclaimed South Asian artists, to experimental collaborations with leading cultural institutions, community participation projects and educational initiatives delivered across the UK and India.
Major projects have included sold-out performances with legendary Gujarati folk singer Osman Mir at London's Royal Festival Hall, the launch of the UK's first South Asian majority orchestra and choir, new commissions exploring South Asian history, literature and spirituality, and collaborations with organisations including the Darbar Festival, Tenebrae, Southbank Centre and Victoria and Albert Museum.
Alongside our artistic programme, Third Culture Collective is committed to widening participation in music and cultural education. Through workshops, and public engagement programmes and partnerships with schools and universities, we seek to make South Asian musical traditions more accessible and support the next generation of artists working across cultural boundaries.
Our Story
What we do
Large-scale productions and partnerships
We artistically produce ambitious large-scale performances with leading South Asian and Western artists, from orchestral concerts at the Royal Festival Hall to choral collaborations with world-class ensembles like Tenebrae. We've worked with some of the most celebrated names in Indian and Western classical music.
New music creation
New music sits at the heart of everything we do. Our founder and director, Kavi Pau, composes original work that brings South Asian and Western traditions into genuine dialogue. Listen to our latest releases on all streaming platforms Check out our latest music releases on all streaming platforms and in our media gallery.
Education and community
We run workshops on South Asian music to inspire the next generation of western classical musicians. Our program of workshops has been well received in schools and universities across the UK and India. We have also released a series of workshop videos, exploring how musicians of all abilities and backgrounds might be inspired by South Asian sounds!
FOUNDER & DIRECTOR
Kavi Pau
Kavi Pau (b.1996) is a British Indian composer, conductor, singer and cultural entrepreneur whose work brings together South Asian and Western musical traditions in bold and imaginative ways.
After learning bhajans and harmonium from a young age, Kavi went on to study composition at the Purcell School before winning a scholarship to the University of Cambridge, where he graduated with a prize-winning Double First-Class degree in Music.
As the founder and Artistic Director of Third Culture Collective, Kavi leads one of the UK's most distinctive platforms for collaboration between South Asian and Western musicians. Through original compositions, large-scale performances and creative partnerships, his work explores how music can reflect the rich cultural identities of contemporary Britain.
Kavi has collaborated with organisations including the BBC Proms, the London Symphony Orchestra and Opera North, and has worked alongside internationally renowned artists including A.R. Rahman and Ilaiyaraaja. His projects span concert halls, festivals, museums and community settings, bringing together artists from different traditions to create new musical experiences.
Alongside his creative work, Kavi is a committed educator, regularly delivering workshops, residencies and lectures across the UK and India. He has worked with institutions including KM Music Conservatory, Christ University and the University of Cambridge.
Our Ensembles
Our ensembles are project-based, with musicians drawn from across the UK and line-ups shaped around the needs of each collaboration.
This flexibility allows us to move from symphonic projects and choral performances to smaller experimental ensembles, while building a wider professional network of South Asian musicians working at the highest levels of the classical sector.
At the heart of Third Culture Collective is our South Asian majority orchestra and choir.
-
The Third Culture Collective Orchestra is the UK’s first South Asian majority western classical orchestra. The players are handpicked from Europe’s finest orchestras and the majority have grown up immersed in South Asian musical cultures - whether through Indian classical training, family traditions, devotional music, film music, or simply a lifetime of listening.
That combination gives our orchestra a particular musical character. Our aim is not to place Indian instruments decoratively on top of a conventional Western orchestra, but to create an ensemble in which different musical traditions can genuinely shape the way music is written, rehearsed and performed.
Our orchestra have performed at world-class venues across the UK and India, including Royal Festival Hall and Victoria & Albert Museum.
Watch our orchestra in action here: https://youtu.be/96TFRDlGJL4?si=g8kHi-JmmHpopPXa -
The Third Culture Collective Choir brings together outstanding professional singers of South Asian heritage, drawn from across the UK's leading choirs, ensembles and musical institutions.
Trained in the Western choral tradition, our singers have also grown up immersed in South Asian cultures, languages and musical traditions. This shared cultural understanding creates a distinctive collective sound and opens new possibilities for bringing Western choral writing into dialogue with Indian classical, folk and devotional music.
Our choir has performed as part of Morari Bapu’s historic Ram Katha at Cambridge University and also at the Royal Festival Hall. We also collaborate alongside the internationally acclaimed choir Tenebrae and have presented work at Manchester’s Birdgewater Hall and London’s Barbican in association with Darbar.
Watch our choir in action here: https://youtu.be/-nDIs6slVdw?si=hOhfUrcrDfa__Tsv