International Student Brings New Life to the FSU Indian Ensemble

For Anchal Khansili, an international Ph.D. student in Musicology from India, music has always been a way to connect people across cultures, backgrounds and experiences. That belief inspired her to revive the FSU Indian Ensemble, creating a space where students, community members and musicians of all skill levels can come together through a shared appreciation of Indian music.

Khansili chose FSU because it offered not only the opportunity to pursue her growing interest in ecomusicology and work with renowned faculty, but also the kind of academic community where she felt she could thrive. "I came to FSU with a curiosity I wanted to pursue, but I found a community that encouraged me to ask bigger questions, explore new directions and discover my own voice as a scholar," she said, “To me, that is what makes a PhD experience truly rewarding, and it is exactly what I found at FSU.” That supportive environment extended beyond the classroom. During her second year, she joined FSU’s Intercultural Ensemble, drawn by the College of Music’s emphasis on developing students as both scholars and performers. With a background in Indian classical vocal music, she valued the opportunity to continue performing while learning alongside musicians from different backgrounds. When the opportunity arose in Fall 2025 to reestablish an Indian music ensemble at FSU, she eagerly stepped into the role of director.

The Indian music ensemble had not been active at FSU for nearly a decade and Khansili saw it “as an opportunity to bring people together through Indian music, celebrate its rich and diverse traditions and create a space where members of the Indian community could connect with their musical heritage while sharing it with the wider FSU and Tallahassee communities.” For Khansili, the ensemble is about more than performance. “The purpose of the ensemble is not simply to perform Indian music, but to make it accessible as something people can actively participate in, explore and learn together,” she said. “I want it to be a space where someone who has grown up with these musical traditions can feel connected to them, while someone encountering them for the first time can discover something new.”

The ensemble's diversity creates unique opportunities for collaboration and experimentation, with instruments ranging from sitar and tabla to guitar, trombone, and even Greek lute. “There is something really special about seeing people with such different backgrounds come together, contribute their own musical ideas, and create something collectively,” Khansili said. “That spirit of curiosity, collaboration and shared learning is really at the heart of what we do.”

Beyond music-making, the ensemble has become a place where students can find connection and belonging. “Music has always been a way for me to connect with people, and watching the ensemble grow into something that others are equally excited to be part of has been incredibly rewarding,” she said. As an international student, Khansili hopes others will seek opportunities outside the classroom to build community. “Moving to a new country is exciting, but it also comes with the challenge of finding your place and creating a sense of home away from home,” she said. “Music offers a wonderful way to connect with others.”’

Today, the FSU Indian Ensemble brings together undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of academic disciplines, along with occasional members of the broader Tallahassee community. The group performs a diverse repertoire spanning folk, Hindustani and Carnatic classical, semi-classical, and Bollywood music, using both traditional Indian and Western instruments. If interested in experiencing the ensemble yourself, The Indian Ensemble will perform alongside the FSU Salsa Ensemble on November 20 at 7:30 p.m. in Opperman Music Hall. “We're really excited about the performance, and we would love to see you all there!” Khansili said.