Free Flow Classikal is a new concept by zerOclassikal taking the ideas of South Asian classical music and opening them up to other improvisers from the jazz, world and free improvisation fields. It's about exploration and musical freedom!

Led by our AD Jonathan Mayer on sitar, who will be joined by Alcyona Mick on the piano and Nina Harries on the double bass.

Jonathan Mayer - son of the late Kolkata composer John Mayer - is a renowned sitarist & composer, who has composed extensively for many genres including jazz, Indian, dance & symphonic writing and has performed all over the world including, France, Germany, Russia, United Arab Emirates, USA, Australia, America, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and two very successful tours in India.

Jonathan began his musical training at just 5 years old, learning violin from his grandfather Albert Hepton, piano from James Methuen-Campbell and composition from his father, and later mastered the sitar. His ability to read Western notation has allowed him to perform in a variety of genres – playing with artists such as Kuljit Bhamra, The London Philharmonic Orchestra and BBC Concert Orchestra, among other notable names.

Nina Harries is a Grammy-nominated double bassist and vocalist. They trained in Western classical music at the Royal College of Music, then moved into Indian Classical through performing for Akram Khan and Anoushka Shankar. A songwriter and ensemble artist, Nina has performed in 28 countries to date, and has released 2 records in 2019 and 2022.

Alcyona Mick is a busy London-based jazz pianist and composer. She was recently nominated for a Parliamentary Jazz Instrumentalist award and has performed internationally for many years. As well as co-leading a duo with saxophonist Tori Freestone, Alcyona currently works with a wide array of artists and bands including the London Jazz Orchestra, Natacha Atlas, Randolph Matthews, Brigitte Beraha Lucid Dreamers, Perfect Stranger, Josephine Davies Enso ensemble and Orenda trio, Miguel Gorodi Qtet, Casimir Connection, Martin Speake duo, Kate Shortt, Paul Clarvis/Stuart Hall trio and many others. As a composer, she has worked in the commercial field writing music for documentaries, short films and TV and also performed live to a silent film and a music TV series in Istanbul.

'Alcyona Mick is an unusual powerhouse of a talent' - MOJO

King Bayan is a Ukrainian singing group based in Coventry.  Our repertoire is Ukrainian folk songs and includes popular songs from around the world.  We perform to the accompaniment of a bayan - a button accordion - played by our group leader Iryna King.  Our members are from Ukraine and of Ukrainian heritage born in the UK.  We seek to promote Ukrainian folk music among local communities and raise money for charitable causes in Ukraine.   Since being established King Bayan have performed for communities in Birmingham, Coventry and Warwickshire.  Some of our notable performances are the Positive Images Festival at Coventry Ukrainian Community Centre; the Polish Millenium House in Birmingham for the Polish Catholic Association; the Womens Institute in Lois Weedon, Northamptonshire