Melanie has been performing with renowned Indian guitarist Susmit Sen as an East meets West guitar piano duo since 2017. The music is a mix of call and response, improvisation and textured harmonies nuanced by Susmit and Melanie’s Indian and Western classical roots, respectively. Their collaborative efforts have given both musicians a cross-cultural musical experience and the result has been a series of dynamic conversations between the guitar and piano.

The Susmit Sen Trio is comprised of Indian guitarist, Susmit Sen, Indian drummer and percussionist, Nandit Desai, and American pianist, Melanie Hardage.  With Susmit’s self-taught and distinctly Indian guitar, Melanie’s Western Classical influence, and Nandit’s Indo-Western rhythmic style, the result is experimental music with elements of jazz, Western classical and folk fused with Indian beat patterns and scale. The Susmit Sen Trio is instrumental music that takes the listener on a transcendental journey.