Rudraveena is the mother and queen of Indian classical music, says Rudraveena exponent Carsten Wicke. A German by origin, he has spent decades promoting and reviving this great Indian classical instrument through numerous performances and training students in this ancient art. In his early twenties, driven by spiritual curiosity, he travelled to India. Reflecting on his journey, he says: “Well, I grew up in the Eastern part of Germany and learned Western Violin as a child for several years. Nevertheless, it was a start to understand how to produce sound with the fingers and how to express myself through music.”

Carsten’s path led him to an ashram, where meditation deepened his fascination with Indian classical forms. “On my second journey, I definitely wanted to learn more, so I came to Kolkata and I started to learn study seriously. I contacted Pandit Anindo Chatterjee in the middle of the 1990s, and he was great enough to take me on as a beginner. Being a student, I listened to all kinds of classical music. I soaked it all up like a sponge … and then I finally got in touch with my Guru, Ustad Asad Ali Khan. Being chosen by him as a disciple was a very big thing.”

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Under Ustad Asad Ali Khan—an heir of eight generations of Rampur court musicians—Carsten delved into Khandarbani Dhrupad, mastering its expansive Alaap and dynamic Jor and Jhala. In describing his guru’s teaching, Carsten recounts: “Ustadji would tell me, ‘Carsten, never worry. You know, if you take care of the Veena, the Veena will take care of you’.” That counsel shaped his lifelong devotion.

Distinct among Indian instruments, the Rudraveena’s two resonators—Tumbas made from specially grown pumpkins—demand rare craftsmanship. The Danda, originally bamboo but now seasoned teak, connects these gourds. Carsten explains: “This instrument slowly became obsolete. The manufacturing requires a lot of experience and subtle understanding of sound production and playability, which unfortunately is almost lost these days amongst the musical artisans.”

He underscores maintenance challenges: “During monsoons, the strings start rusting. You have to take care of the polish and use special fluids. I keep my Rudraveena in a velvet cover all the time to keep it safe because one wrong movement and it will break.” Transporting it for festivals—worldwide appearances from Nagpur and Kolkata to Berlin, London, and Prague—remains a logistical hurdle. Carsten advocates for support so that “travelling with these rare instruments has to become more affordable.”

Onstage, a Rudraveena performance unfolds in three phases: Alap, Jor/Jhala, and Bandish/Gat. He elaborates: “Speaking of creating sound through an instrument, it’s very challenging. It’s a question of how to put intensity into the music. And this is basically happening by the Praana, the life energy that is infused into the sound that one is creating. When you want to create music through an instrument, the music has to have Praana or soul in it.”

Despite its rarity, Carsten insists the Rudraveena’s bass-rich timbre offers meditative depth unlike Sitar or Sarod: “The sound of the Rudraveena is indeed very special because you can feel it in a way that it touches your soul. I basically chose the RudraVeena because it resembles the voice of my heart.”

His philosophy rejects mere spectacle. “You can be very sound technically … and the audience gets very impressed … and then one goes out of the hall and forgets all about it. Because the sound didn’t touch you very deeply.” Instead, he seeks Nada Brahma—sound as the universe. “The nature of classical music is not to entertain the musician or the audience. It’s an abstract diving into sound, and that’s what makes the form so appealing and challenging.” He stresses that improvisation merges composer and performer, guiding listeners toward transcendence.

Preparation combines practice and mental focus. “A senior artist once told me that you don’t need special preparation before a concert, provided you have done your homework.” He adds: “The inner kind of preparation happens basically through meditation… You become centred in this kind of power or mental state, and focused within your own being.”

Looking ahead, Carsten worries modern audiences demand pop-like immediacy: “Listeners expect similar excitement from classical music, as pop music usually delivers… The attention span of the audience has drastically reduced.” Consequently, the Rudraveena lacks a commercial market. Yet, he observes an international revival through Baithaks and house concerts: “Today’s listeners enjoy the unique experience the Rudra Veena…an unparalleled musical journey between silence and ecstasy.”

Advising young musicians, Carsten urges integrity: “What do you think of why we make you learn for decades, before allowing you to enter the stage? Because we want to form a character and not just a musician.” He believes innovation must respect roots: “They can expand their musical horizons and add some of it to the traditional form… Let them do so by maintaining the purity of the form. Let us not be too rigid with them.” Those who transcend popularity’s lure will secure the Rudraveena’s legacy.

Through decades of dedication, Carsten Wicke continues to champion this venerable instrument, reviving its lineage, teaching students to honour its soul, and inviting global audiences into its meditative embrace.