An Indian American musician, Nistha Raj, demonstrates her violin virtuosity with her inventive solo debut album, “Exit 1,” which was released Feb. 26.

For many years Raj studied Western and Hindustani classical music. But, she emphasizes, “Exit 1” “is not a classical album. It’s rooted in Hindustani music, but it’s a crossover.”

“This album is the first stop on my musical journey,” Raj explained in a press release. “That’s why I called it ‘Exit 1.’ Music is and has always been a journey for me and sometimes I don’t know where the music will lead me but that excites me. This is my first album and it documents all the different collaborations so far on my journey.”

Raised in Texas, Raj began studying violin when she was 9, graduating with a B.A. in music with honors from the University of Houston. She enjoyed playing the Western classical tradition but something was impelling her toward India, to study the music that lay deep inside herself.

With a scholarship from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, she traveled there, staying for more than three years as she learned and immersed herself in Hindustani classical music.

Most of the nine tracks on “Exit 1” have deep roots in Hindustani music featuring well- known tabla maestro Debu Nayak. Many are Raj’s arrangements of classical pieces.

But she slashes through the rules, sometimes adding cello or guitar and piano to complement the sound of her five-string violin, bringing a new energy and perspective to ancient melodies.

The track that sits closest to her heart, though, is a take on the famous Bollywood song, “Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai,” featuring The Fourth Stream and Ethan Foote.

Originally sung by the legendary Lata Mangeshkar in the 1972 movie “Shor,” it’s “a song I grew up listening to with my mother. It’s part of my childhood. I wanted something that was a tribute to her. She didn’t play an instrument but she was my first teacher, she introduced me to such good music,” Raj said.