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A.R. Rahman Is Bringing “The Symphonic Experience” to NJPAC for Two Nights
A.R. Rahman has spent more than three decades creating music that moves between intimate melodies, cinematic scale, and multiple musical traditions. On Nov. 3 and 4, he brings that range to Prudential Hall at NJPAC for two performances of “The Symphonic Experience.”
For the Newark dates, Rahman will perform with the New Jersey Symphony, bringing an orchestral dimension to music that has reached audiences worldwide through film, recordings, and live performance.
Rahman Meets the New Jersey Symphony
Rahman’s music rarely stays in one lane, and his live band has plenty of ground to cover. His compositions can draw from Indian classical traditions, electronic production, pop, percussion and cinematic scoring, sometimes moving between several of those influences within a single piece.
Live instrumentation can bring different layers forward, while vocals, keyboards and percussion give familiar compositions a different presence outside the films and recordings where audiences first heard them.
For audiences, the appeal goes beyond hearing familiar music live. It is the opportunity to experience Rahman’s compositions in a setting built for the sweeping arrangements and cinematic textures that have defined so much of his work.
Music That Lives Beyond the Movies
Rahman’s work is deeply connected to cinema, but many of his compositions have developed lives beyond the films they were written for.
From “Roja” and “Dil Se” to “Lagaan,” “Ponniyin Selvan” and “Slumdog Millionaire,” Rahman’s film work spans different languages, eras and styles. The music from those projects has continued to show up in playlists, concerts, weddings and everyday moments long after the credits rolled.
His work on “Slumdog Millionaire” earned him two Academy Awards, adding to a career that also includes two Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA.
For many fans, Rahman’s staying power has less to do with awards than personal connection. A few notes can immediately bring back a film, a moment in life, or a song they have known for years. That familiarity can change how the music lands in a concert hall, especially when orchestral arrangements reveal new layers in compositions audiences already know.
Two Nights in Newark
Rahman takes over Prudential Hall on Nov. 3 and 4, bringing “The Symphonic Experience” to NJPAC alongside the New Jersey Symphony.
For longtime listeners, the concerts offer another way to encounter music that may have followed them for years. For newer fans, the collaboration provides an immediate look at the scale, range, and detail within Rahman’s catalog.
For two nights at NJPAC, the draw is not only hearing music audiences already know. It is hearing what happens when Rahman’s compositions meet the power of a live symphony orchestra.
A.R. Rahman: The Symphonic Experience
Nov. 3 and 4, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.
Prudential Hall at NJPAC
Newark, New Jersey
