About Third Space Music
Music brings us together. Community makes it home.
Indian classical music has always been about more than music itself.
For generations, it has lived in homes, courtyards and intimate baithaks—spaces where musicians and listeners came together to share music, conversation, friendship and community.
Third Space exists to create those spaces today.
We are a Canadian nonprofit dedicated to Indian classical and semi-classical music, creating welcoming spaces where artists can create freely, audiences can discover the music without intimidation, and strangers can become friends.
Making the music more accessible
Indian classical music is an extraordinary tradition, but entering its world can sometimes feel intimidating.
We believe you shouldn't have to know the music to belong in the room.
We work to make Indian classical and semi-classical music more accessible, welcoming and community-oriented, without compromising the depth and integrity of the tradition.
We create spaces where a seasoned listener can sit beside someone hearing a raga for the first time, where emerging musicians can share the stage with established artists, and where questions, experimentation and connection are encouraged.
The music stays at the centre. The walls around it come down.
Where it began
Nearly twenty years ago, two young tabla students met while learning from the same teacher, Ustad Mohan Singh Dahaley.
We became gurubhais—students of the same guru—and eventually close friends.
Mohan Singh Dahaley was more than a teacher. He was a beloved community leader and champion of Indian classical and semi-classical music. His home became a gathering place for musicians, students, listeners and friends across the GTA—a true third space where music, conversation, food, laughter and friendship came together.
When our guru passed away in 2019, the community felt the loss deeply. We had lost a teacher and mentor, but also a place that had brought people together.
Third Space Music grew from that loss and our desire to carry his spirit forward—not by recreating what existed, but by building something for the next generation.
What we do
Moksha Festival
Every October, we present Moksha Festival at the Rose Theatre in Brampton—a celebration of Indian classical music featuring exceptional musicians and maestros from Canada and around the world.
It is our opportunity to bring the very best of the tradition to a major Canadian stage while introducing new audiences to its depth and beauty.
Throughout the year
The heart of Third Space lives in smaller rooms.
Through baithaks, mehfils, open mics, jams and intimate concerts, we create opportunities for local artists to perform, experiment and connect with audiences.
Sometimes the music is formal. Sometimes spontaneous. What matters is that there is a place to come together.
A space to belong
We don't simply want to put on more concerts.
We want to build a community.
A place where musicians find collaborators, listeners become regulars, and friendships formed around music grow into something bigger.
A place where you can walk in not knowing anyone and eventually feel like you know everyone.
That is our Third Space.
Third Space began with two gurubhais carrying forward the spirit of a teacher who showed them what a musical community could be.
Today, it belongs to everyone who walks through the door.
Come find your space.