Hindustani Vocal Recital 06/01/19

Hindustani Vocal Recital – Khayal Sangeet Omkar Dadarkar hails from a family of ‘Marathi Natyasangeet’ exponents. He received his initial guidance from his aunt, the late noted classical vocalist Manik Verma and thereafter from Ram Deshpande. After being awarded the CCRT scholarship (Delhi) for classical music, he was groomed by Pandit Yashwantbua Joshi under the scheme of Guru-Shishya-Parampara of the Dadar-Matunga Cultural Centre. A Sangeet Visharad and Bachelor of Arts in Marathi Literature and History, Omkar joined ITC-SRA as a scholar in July 1999, receiving rigorous talim under Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar. He completed his training in June 2005 with an A+ grade. He also trained in the light classical form under Vidushi Girija Devi and Srinivas Khale. His numerous awards include the prestigious Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for 2010 conferred by the Sangeet Natak Akademi to talented artistes below the age of 35, the Aditya Vikram Birla Puraskar in 2009, the “Shanmukhananda Hall-Mumbai-Sangeet Shiromani” award and he is also the first recipient of “Chaturanga Sangeet Shishyavrutti Award” given by Chaturanga Pratishthan in collaboration with Mhaiskar Foundation, Mumbai. Omkar who was previously working with Mumbai Educational Trust, as Music In-charge returned to ITC SRA as a Musician Tutor in 2010 and has been promoted to the position of Guru of the Academy in 2017. Saturday, June 01, 2019 4:00:00 PM Allen Library Civic Auditorium, 300 N. Allen Drive, Allen TX 75013 Milind Kulkarni’s natural flair for Harmonium reflects the eternal essence of Hindustani Classical Music as handed down in the true “Guru Shishya Parampara”. Milind took his initial training from Pandit Vsantrao Gurav and later on he has been taking the lessons from Pt. Pramod Marathe from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. Milind earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Music, specializing in Harmonium at Centre for Performing Arts, Pune University, Pune. He has accompanied many prominent vocalist, instrumentalist and Kathak Dance performers. Milind is a regular performer of All India Radio & Doordarshan (T.V.) network. Sanjay Deshpande is a talented Tabla Player based in Pune, India. He was born in a music loving family and was introduced to the art of playing Tabla under Late Pt. Sabade at Pune Bharat Gayan Samaj. Later he took Taleem (lessons) from the renowned Tabla player Pt. Suresh Talwalkar of Delhi-Farookabad Gharana, in a Guru Shishya Parampara for 6 years. He also had the privilege of understanding the beauty of Punjab Gharana under the guidance of world renowned Tabla maestro Ustad. Alla Rakha Khan Saheb. At present he is taking guidance from Shri. Yogesh Samsi and Pt. Vivek Joshi. Sanjay is recipient of the coveted “Ahmedjaan Thirakwaa Scholarship” for Solo Performance. He has accompanied renowned artists like Smt. Vasundhara Komkali, Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar, Pt. Smt. Malini Rajurkar, Pt. Jasraj, Dr. Prabha Atre, Pt. Dinkar Kaikini, Dr. Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande , Smt. Veena Sahastrabudhe and many others. He has performed in major conferences such as Sawai Gandharwa Music Festival Pune, Paluskar Smarak Conference, Shankarlal Samaroha in New Delhi, I.T.C. Sangeet Sammelan . Dowerlane Conference, Kolkata. Sanjay has performed abroad in countries like USA, UK, UAE, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Russia, Holland, Qatar, Sri Lanka, South Korea etc. He has also participated in the “World Vocal Festival” in Sweden. He is empanelled as guru at the Lalit Kala Kendra, University of Pune. He has number of recordings released. His fusion album “Wind From Ayuta” with Korean musicians won the Best album award of the year – 2002 in South Korea.

Hindustani Vocal Recital – Khayal Sangeet Ustad Waseem Ahmed Khan is blessed with a rare combination of teaching skills, fine temperament and an exceptional voice. He is one of the finest musicians of his generation. He comes from a great lineage of musicians of the Agra Gharana. He took his initial taalim from his maternal grandfather, Ustad Ata Hussain Khan, and later from his father, Ustad Naseem Ahmed Khan. He was a Scholar of ITC SRA under erstwhile Guru Ustad Shafi Ahmed Khan, who was his grand uncle. Waseem has focused on giving taalim to students of all ages. He is passionate about performing too. Having debutged at the age of 10, he has performed at various important concerts all over the country, singing at the ITC SRA Sangeet Sammelan at Delhi and the ITC SRA Guru-Sishya Parampara concert in Kolkata in 2003. In 2007, he toured France and Germany, one of his memorable performances being at the Theatre de-la-Ville in Paris. He also conducted workshops in Europe. A regular performer on All India Radio, he has been giving performances and conducting workshops all over the country via SPICMACAY since 1996. Saturday, April 27, 2019 4:30:00 PM Allen Library Civic Auditorium, 300 N. Allen Drive, Allen TX 75013 Dr. Vinay Mishra, an accomplished harmonium player, was born in Varanasi in a family of music lovers. While he has also learnt the sitar, the harmonium holds a special place in his heart. Vinay was born in the city of Varanasi in a family of music lovers. As a child, his father indulged his wish to learn classical music and decided to take him to Pandit Channulal Mishra for vocal lessons where he received his early training. Later on, he studied harmonium rigorously under the tutelage of Ustad Mehtab Khan and his father Ustad Chand Khan of Varanasi. Vinay also got a chance to learn the finer nuances of Indian classical harmonium playing from the legendary harmonium exponent Pt. AppaSaheb Jalgaonkar. Vinay also holds a Ph.D. in Music from University of Delhi and has a published a book called ‘Harmonium – Vividh Ayam’ which talks about the increasing importance of harmonium in today’s classical music era. He has shared the stage with eminent artists such as Girija Devi, Ashwini Bhide, Pt Ulhas Kashalkar, Ud Rashid Khan, Pt. Venkatesh Kumar, Pts Rajan Sajan Mishra, Prabha Atre, Pt Ajay Pohankar, Pt Sanjeev Abhyankar, Shruti Shadolikar, Parveen Sultana, etc. for last 15 years in all the prestigious music festivals in India and has toured extensively over United States, Europe, Africa and Middle East. Pandit Ashis Sengupta is a versatile percussionist of the Banaras gharana. He received his initial training from his father Shri Ranjit Kumar Sengupta and was later groomed by Pandit Nanku Maharaj, Pandit Mahapurush Mishra and Pandit Krishna Kumar Ganguly. Pt. Sengupta has innovated to the various rhythmic compositions learnt from his Gurus and is also blessed with a lot of traditional compositions, Stotras and varieties of Gats from the great Gurus. Both as a soloist and an accompanist to widely varied music styles and performers, he is also an established western drummer to his credit. Apart from playing Tabla, he has composed Bhajans and music arrangements for light music compositions recorded by many reputed audio-video companies. Apart from his extensive global tour, he has participated India festival in Moscow, Germany, France, Holland UK, USA and Canada. He has accompanied some of the very distinguished Hindustani musicians of today as well as of the past like Pt. Nivrutti Bua Sarnaik, Pt. Mallikarjun Mansoor, Smt. Gangubai Hangal, Smt. Sunanda Pattanayak, Pandit Manilal Nag, Vidushi. Girija Devi, Pt. L. K. Pandit, Pandit Rajan and Sajan Misra, Vidushi Arti Anklekar, Pt. Gokulotsav Maharaj, Ud Rashid Khan, Pt. V. G. Jog, Pt. Vinayak Torvi, Pt. Ronu Majumder, Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Pt. Kaivalya Kumar, Pt. Venkatesh Kumar, Pt. Shantanu Bhattacharyya and Pt Jayateerth Mevundi to name a few. Most recently, he has written a book on Tabla named “Facets of Tabla Playing”, published by Kanishka Publishers, New Delhi. He has traveled extensively all over the globe for his performances and lecture-demonstration on Tabla playing under the aegis of numerous organizations. At present he is a member of the Faculty of Music and Fine Arts, University of Delhi.

Shaam-e-Ghazal: Ustad Tari Khan Live in Concert A disciple of legendary Ustad Mehdi Hassan and Ustad Shaukat Hussain Khan, Ustad Tari Khan has captured audience imaginations worldwide as a both a ghazal and tabla maestro. Raised by a classical vocalist father and groomed by two legendary Ustads during a golden era of music, he represents a unique product of melodic and rhythmic pedigree. As Tariji was a rising star in the early 70s and touring with Mehdi Hassan as an accompanist, he was under continuous talim, from the ghazal legend. Once established as one of the foremost percussionists in India and Pakistan, Tariji turned his performance prowess to ghazals and quickly established himself as a leading vocalist. His rendition preserves Ustad Mehdi Hassan’s depth and feeling while displaying his unique innovation, leaving audiences spellbound. Tariji has received the highest global accolades for the better part of four decades, including Pakistan’s coveted Pride of Performance, her highest award for artistic excellence. In the last several years he has given many vocal concerts in prestigious sold out venues across India, Pakistan, Europe, Australia, US, and Canada and drawn critical acclaim. In recent years, Tariji has continued to evolve, as a composer, by crossing generas with film and with western artists, and as an ambassador of eastern music with the Doris Duke foundation. Saturday, April 06, 2019 4:00:00 PM Allen Library Civic Auditorium, 300 N. Allen Drive, Allen TX 75013 Mohammad Bashir Khan, originally from Rajasthan India, is one of the foremost exponents of his instrument, Bubul Tarang. He hails from a family of six generations of artists. As a follower of the Kirana Gharana under maestro Abdul Rehman Khansahib, he has applied his training to this unique instrument and regularly accompanied the highest profile artists including Ustad Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali, Nursrat Fateh Ali Khan, Pankaj Udas, and Hari Haran. He regularly works with Bollywood movie directors and can be heard in many movies. Arif Mani is a stage performer, studio artist, a composer, and a sound engineer. A versatile artist, he plays a wide range of key based instruments including piano, electronic keyboard and harmonium. He has performed and recorded with various renowned artists including Ghulam Abbas, Parvez Mehdi, Abida Parveen, Rafaqat Ali Khan, and many others. He worked for Pakistan Television as a music director and composer and was awarded best composer in 2010. Matt Gaskins has sang and played instruments since the age of 5 and pursued a career in music steeped in both performance and music education. He earned a bachelor’s degree in percussion from Cameron University and Master in jazz vocal from University of North Texas. He has worked across genres for over 30 year and worked with acclaimed jazz artists like Vinnie Colaiuta. Matt happened upon Hindustani classical music in his teens and studied sitar under sitar maestro Ustad Imrat Khan and eventually became a disciple of Ustad Tari Khan. He has applied his talents and education across genres on a regular basis, including working with Abhit Pohankar of Piya Bawari and Ustad Tari Khan. Matt was also founder of Neighbor Arts and Music School (NAMS) an established music school in Frisco, Texas and is currently Music Director at Imagine International Academy of North Texas. Shahrukh Taj was born in a musical family and started playing tabla at an early age. In his teens he became a formal disciple of Ustad Tari Khan, one of the foremost exponents of the instrument. Over the years he has accompanied various renowned artists including Fida Hussain, Ghulam Abbas, Hari Haran, and Parvez Ali Khan (Parvez Mehdi) to name a few. Shahrukh has worked with classical and semi-classical artists as well as western musicians for 20 years and has been teaching tabla in the DFW area for nearly 10 years.

Hindustani Sarod Recital – Khayal Sangeet Pandit Debojyoti Bose is disciple of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and one of the principle torch bearer of the famous Senia Bangash Gharana. Debojyoti hails from an illustrious family of tabla players. He naturally inherits an unstrained musical acumen, for he was born in a family of passionate musicians at Kolkata. He is the fourth generation musician in the Bose family. His great grandfather Sri Akshay Kumar Bose, a jaminder of Pankobil in Jessore, now in Bangladesh, had a great passion for tabla which was passed on to the generations that followed. That is how he is a born tabla player. His father Pandit Biswanath Bose a tabla legend of Benaras gharana, a disciple of Pandit Kanthe Maharaj and his mother Smt. Bharati Bose a keen Sitar player and a disciple of Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, sowed the seed of music in him by imparting the early lessons. Debojyoti achieved so many awards, some of which are – Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan scholarship(1981)from SBKK, Delhi, Kal-ke-Kalakar (BHU,Varanasi,1984),felicitated by Rabindra Bharati University (Kolkata,1989), Anandalok Award by ABP (1999),felicitated by Vishwabharati University (Shantiniketan 2000),Citizen of Honor from Brown University(2002). Visited Indonesia as an Indian delegate in 2002.Visited Russia, China & Mongolia as a state guest in 2009.Invited to perform in Salon de Virtuoso (New York).Selected as jurist in Tele Samman in 2007. Worked with Mazdidik Nini Thowo a legendery dancer of Indonesia performed with Renowned Chinas Musician. Debojyoti has performed in all major festivals in India including The Dover Lane Music Conference (Kolkata), Saptak (Ahmedabad), Harballav Festival (Jallundher),Sarod Festival (Delhi), Tansen Samaroh (Gwalior), SangeetSabha (Pune), Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh & Dhrupad Mela (Varanasi), Sangeet Natak Academy Concert (Chennai & Hyderabad), Parampara Concert ICCR (Delhi), ITC Sangeet Sammelan, etc. He has also toured extensively abroad including USA, Russia, Indonesia, UK, Bangladesh, Australia, etc. Saturday, March 23, 2019 4:00:00 PM Allen Christian Church, 450 E. St. Mary Drive, Allen TX 75002 Pandit Abhijit Banerjee is considered one the finest ranking tabla players from India and a sought-after artist. He started learning tabla at a very young age from Sri Tushar Kanti Bose, later from Sri Manik Pal and finally came under the tutelage of Pandit Gyan Prakash Ghosh. As a child he won many Music competitions of national repute. Besides tabla he had his training in vocal music and in violin. Abhijit is now a regular performer at all the major music conferences all over India and overseas. He has accompanied maestros such as Pt.Ravi Shankar, late Pt. Nikhil Banerjee, Begum Parveen Sultana, Pt. Jasraj, Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma, Dr. Balamurali Krishnan, etc. Besides accompanying all the major artistes of India, both in North Indian and South Indian traditions, he has presented himself as a solo performer in many music conferences in India and Abroad. He has toured extensively all over the world and also associated himself with Jazz world and performed with some Jazz musicians and groups in New York. Abhijit has conducted many seminars on Indian Classical Music at Universities in USA, Japan, England and Spain. Abhijit has recorded many CDs with many reputed companies accompanying almost all the major artists in Indian Classical Music today; as well as many well-known Jazz musicians. Abhijit has composed music for TV serials and short films of which The Trails – a film on Calcutta- got the National Award and is invited in the film festivals in Amsterdam and Munich. Abhijit had the privilege of representing India in the World Festival of Music held in Granada, Spain. In his academic life he is a graduate in English and post graduate in Journalism. He has his own touring ensemble named Tarang and he is also member of Raga Jazz group, Arohi Ensemble. He has founded the Dhwani Academy of Percussion Music (Dhwani literally means Sound). This is mainly a percussion academy inclined to teach Tabla (Indian Drum) along with other Indian percussion instruments like Pakhwaj, Ghatam, etc. Dhwani is in India and also in Los Angeles and New York.

The Art stage ICMC presents its annual event presenting a medley of several short vocal, instrumental and dance performances, by performing and amateur musicians of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. This event is free to general public. The primary reasons for this concert are to bring awareness about Indian classical music in the community and also to stage upcoming talent. Since its inception in 1983, ICMC has built the most comprehensive concert series and is regarded as the premier producer of Indian classical music and dance in Dallas/Fort Worth and the surrounding area, by consistently presenting more than seven culturally diverse concerts a year for the sole benefit of its members and the general public. ICMC’s mission is to entertain, to interest, to educate, to train and to provide spiritual nourishment to its members and the general public, and to significantly contribute to the multiethnic heritage and the cultural vitality of the city, through its concerts. Saturday, March 23, 2019 4:00:00 PM Allen Christian Church, 450 E. St. Mary Drive, Allen TX 75002

Fall Fest 2018 ICMC presents Fall Fest 2018 presenting a medley of several short vocal, instrumental and dance performances, by ICMC member musicians. This event is FREE to general public. The primary reasons for this concert are to bring awareness about Indian classical music in the community and also to stage upcoming talent. Since its inception in 1983, ICMC has built the most comprehensive concert series and is regarded as the premier producer of Indian classical music and dance in Dallas/Fort Worth and the surrounding area, by consistently presenting more than seven culturally diverse concerts a year for the sole benefit of its members and the general public. ICMC’s mission is to entertain, to interest, to educate, to train and to provide spiritual nourishment to its members and the general public, and to significantly contribute to the multiethnic heritage and the cultural vitality of the city, through its concerts. Saturday, December 01, 2018 3:00:00 PM Kathak Rhythms Studio, 4020 Hedgcoxe Road, Suite 150, Plano, TX 75024

Hindustani Vocal Recital – Khayal Sangeet Pandit Shantanu Bhattacharyya is foremost among the young maestros of Hindustani classical vocal music. President’s Gold Medal winner Shantanu is a Top graded artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan. Possessing the rare feat of having won simultaneous top positions in Khayal and Thumri at All India Radio music competition, Shantanu Bhattacharyya’s singing has been described by senior maestros including Guruma Vidushi Meera Banerjee, as a true reflection of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Shantanu groomed in music first by his mother Ira Bhattacharyya and then Sri Amalendu Pal, Sri Bhismadev Bhattacharyya, Sri Sukhendu Goswami and Sri Sudhir Banerjee; Shantanu in subsequent years learned expansively from worshipped names of the Patiala-Kasur Gharana; Pandit Prasun Banerjee, Vidushi Meera Banerjee and Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty. Associating also with other great artists while a scholar at Kolkata’s ITC Sangeet Research Academy in the ‘90s, he perfected himself into a musician aiming to combine the best of all styles, focusing centrally on the gayaki of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Shantanu has performed at numerous festivals & venues in India, United States, Canada, Italy, United Kingdom, Finland, France, Germany and Singapore. Shantanu Bhattacharyya’s music school Aalor Pathe Raga Dhwani has won accolades from one and all, for the brilliant performances of the young pupils learning under him in the guru shishya tradition. Saturday, November 03, 2018 4:00:00 PM Allen Library Civic Auditorium, 300 N. Allen Drive, Allen TX 75013 Pandit Ashis Sengupta is a versatile percussionist of the Banaras gharana. He received his initial training from his father Shri Ranjit Kumar Sengupta and was later groomed by Pandit Nanku Maharaj, Pandit Mahapurush Mishra and Pandit Krishna Kumar Ganguly. Pt. Sengupta has innovated to the various rhythmic compositions learnt from his Gurus and is also blessed with a lot of traditional compositions, Stotras and varieties of Gats from the great Gurus. Both as a soloist and an accompanist to widely varied music styles and performers, he is also an established western drummer to his credit. Apart from playing Tabla, he has composed Bhajans and music arrangements for light music compositions recorded by many reputed audio-video companies. Most recently, he has written a book on Tabla named “Facets of Tabla Playing”, published by Kanishka Publishers, New Delhi. He has traveled extensively all over the globe for his performances and lecture-demonstration on Tabla playing under the aegis of numerous organizations. At present he is a member of the Faculty of Music and Fine Arts, University of Delhi. Durba Bhattacharyya is promising vocalist and accomplished harmonium artist. Imbibing music from her parents, her mother Tapati Banerjee being a vocalist, Durba Bhattacharyya was nurtured in the basics of Hindustani vocal music at a very early age by Ustad Mazhar Ali Khan of Patiala gharana; grandson of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, the celebrated genius of the Patiala Kasur style, subsequently took charge of her taalim and tutored her to perfection while she was a scholar at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy (SRA), Kolkata. Durba then obtained more guidance from Vidushi Meera Banerjee, the undisputed Empress of the Patiala Kasur style who was the gandabandh shagird of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Since her marriage in 1997, she has been learning from Shantanu Bhattacharyya, her Gurubhai-turned-husband, who was also a former scholar here. Durba Bhattacharyya has performed in Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Ambala, Patiala, Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Surat, Agartala, Mathura, Auroville and Pondicherry. She is an artist of All India Radio Kolkata. She has regaled the audience in USA, Canada, France, England and Singapore, and has to her credit several CDs.

Music Festival of India – Divine Trio – Shehnai, Sitar & Tabla Mita Nag, daughter of veteran satirist, Pandit Manilal Nag and granddaughter of Sangeet Acharya (a master musician) Gokul Nag, belongs to the Vishnupur Gharana of Bengal, a school of music nearly 300 years old. In terms of lineage, Mita is the sixth generation sitar player in her family, the tradition having begun with her fore fathers. It was with her grandfather Gokul Nag, who had become the Guru of a noted zamindar (feudal lord) family of Uttarpara, a Northern suburb town of Kolkata, that the music of the Nag family came into limelight. With her illustrious father Manilal, the sitar tradition of Vishnupur gharana was made known to the world. Mita was initiated into music at the tender age of four . She had shown rather early gestures of her love for music. Toddling with her tiny sitar Mita began her early training under the guidance of her mother who was also a disciple of Gokul Nag. Her grandfather’s encouragement and instructions through singing had much influence on her early reception of music, most noticeably, associating the instrument with song. Her tutelage under her father started at the age of six. Mita appeared for her debut performance at the age of ten years, the year 1979 being observed as the International Year of the Child. The same year Mita won the Junior National Talent Search Award of the Govt .of India. Mita has performed in a number of concerts, solo as well as duet recitals with her father in major cities of India and in many cities of the US, Canada, Japan and Europe. She was awarded the Junior Fellowship Award by the Human Resource Development, Govt of India, for her research project on Vishnupur Gharana. Mita has founded the Gokul Nag Memorial Foundation, a Trust for the promotion of Indian Classical Music, in the fond memory of her grandfather. Mita is a Masters in English Literature and an M.Phil. in English from The University of Kolkata. Saturday, September 22, 2018 4:00:00 PM Allen Library Civic Auditorium, 300 N. Allen Drive, Allen TX 75013 Hassan Haider is an acknowledged Shehnai player. His family hails from Allahabad, and he was born in Kolkata (Calcutta). His father Ud. Ali Ahmed Hussain was a famous Shehnai maestro. His family has been representing this art form for generations. Hassan Haider received his training in Benaras and Senia Gharanas from his father. He also learned from Pt. Arvind Parikh, the famous sitar maestro from school of Ud. Imdad Khan, Ud. Enayat Khan and Ud. Vilayat Khan. Hassan’s great grandfather Ud. Wazir Ali Khan was a musician of distinction who was the first musician to ever perform the Shehnai at the Buckingham Palace in London, England in 1910 and was awarded by Pt. Motilal Nehru, the father of India’s first Prime Minister Jawharlal Nehru. Even at this young age, Hassan Haider has already performed at many important music festivals, venues and occasions in India, such as The Autumn Festival of Dance and Music in celebration of India’s 50th year of independence, Dover Lane Music Festival in Kolkata, Harballav Festival in Jalandhar, Uttarpara Sangeet Chakra in West Bengal, Sri Ram Shankarlal Festival in Delhi, Ud. Alauddin Khan Academy in Bhopal, Sangeet Natak Academy in Pune, only to name a few. All of his performances have been well reviewed in newspapers and magazines. He has toured and performed with his father in several countries outside India. Those include the USA, Canada, U.K., France, Switzerland and Belgium. He is regularly featured on Indian radio and television. Subhen Chatterjee will accompany on Tabla. Subhen Chatterjee bases his style of playing to Lucknow Gharana that he learnt from his illustrious Guru tabla maestro Pandit Swapan Chowdhury. Not restricting himself to one single Gharana-Subhen went on to learn the intricacies & beauty of other Gharanas that he introduced in his playing & which has made his style of playing so unique & distinctive. Subhen has also created India’s leading fusion band, KARMA, which is still the only of its kind from the eastern part of India. Subhen’s recent collaboration with renowned percussionist, SIVAMANI, has enabled him to form another unique fusion band called FRIENDS OF DRUMS whose main objective is to help the lesser known yet very talented musicians sharing stage with renowned ones. His album BANDISH FUSION was nominated for JPF Music Awards (one of the USA’s leading music awards) in 2006. Subhen’s latest albums BANDISH FUSION: REDEFINED and BANDISH FUSION: THE LASTING LEGACY are already in the charts; both in India and abroad.

Sarod Recital – Singing Strings One of the youngest President Award Winning “A” Grade Sarod artiste of All India Radio & National Television – Kolkata, Abhisek Lahiri has won the hearts of discerning audiences worldwide with his maturity, depth & perfection already at the age of 29. Abhisek was initiated in Sarod at an early age of 5 and trained under the tutelage of his father as well as Guru, eminent Sarod maestro Pandit Alok Lahiri & became one of his premier disciples. Abhisek’s Sarod recital has a blending of three major Gharanas of Sarod playing: Shajahanpur, Senia Maihar & Senia Bangash Gharana (Gwalior). Abhisek’s playing reflects the subtlety, aestheticism and nostalgic spirituality while combining it with resonant power & intensity to captivate the listener with the beauty and originality of his Sarod playing. Abhisek possess the dignity of being the First Indian Musician along with his eminent father to perform in “Europe Parliament” in France and also in “Canada Culture Days” in Hamilton, Canada on invitation of The Malhar Group. Abhisek is an empanelled member artist of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi. Abhisek took part in the “World Kinder Festival” in Holland & enthralled the audiences as a ‘Wonder Child Sarod Player’ in 1997. The Dutch Television network telecasts his recitals countrywide even now. Abhisek has some CD albums released to his credit: His two solo albums “Sparkling Sarod’ and “Mood of Puriya Kalyan” released by Bihaan Music received nominations in Global Indian Music Awards (GiMA) of Mumbai in “Best Hindustani Classical Album- Instrumental” category for the year 2010 & 2014 respectively. His latest release “IONAH Trio” CD album along with Japanese Guitarist Hideaki Tsuji is also getting worldwide appreciation. Abhisek has performed extensively within India and across the world in countries like USA, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, Sweden, Japan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka etc. Saturday, September 08, 2018 4:00:00 PM Allen Library Civic Auditorium, 300 N. Allen Drive, Allen TX 75013 Subrata Bhattacharya is one of the leading tabla players in India today. He has received his taalim under Shri Tamal Krishna Chatterjee, Shri Nripen Karmakar and Shri Tapan Kr. Banerjee before he was finally accepted as a pupil of tabla maestro Pt. Shankar Ghosh, all of whom honed his talent to the level of refinement now witnessed by audiences everywhere. He has since proved himself a worthy exponent of the Farukhabad Gharana. Recognition of his talent has come in the form of such awards as the Sangeet Prabhankar and the Gold Medal and the Saangeet Praveen from Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahadad, and Sangeet Bhushan from the Bhatkhande College, Lucknow. Renowned artists whom he has accompanied in the past few years are Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Dr. L. Subramaniam, Dr.N.Rajam, Pt. Buddhaditya Mukherjee, Ud Shahid Parvez Khan, Ud Ali Ahmed Hussain, Chitraveena Ravikiran, Pt. Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, Pt. Samaresh Chaudhury, etc. He is a visiting professor at the University of Urbana Champaign,IL. The next milestone of his creativity and innovation is “Naad- The Everlasting Sound”, a group he has formed to experiment with fusion music. It seems the next inevitable step in Subrata’s career as a mingling and merging of eastern, middle eastern and western styles of music is the trend among makers and lovers of music these days. He is been a part of the Chicago based Indo -Jazz band Flat Earth Ensemble since its inception.

India Dance Festival This event is in-part supported by the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) India Dance Festival will present several fine dance performances by some of the leading artists featuring Kathak styles. Kathak, the dance style from north India has the charm and subtlety associated with miniature paintings. Nurtured in the holy precincts of the Hindu temples Kathak was further enhanced with Persian influence during the Mogul reign in India. Kathak is one of the eight forms of Indian classical dance. This dance form traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathakars or storytellers. Its form today contains traces of temple and ritual dances, and the influence of the bhakti movement. From the 16th century onwards it absorbed certain features of Persian dance and Central Asian dance which were imported by the royal courts of the Mughal era. There are three major schools or gharana of Kathak from which performers today generally draw their lineage: the gharanas of Jaipur, Lucknow and Varanasi; there is also a less prominent Raigarh gharana which amalgamated technique from all three preceding gharanas but became famous for its own distinctive compositions. Saturday, August 25, 2018 7:30:00 PM University Theater, University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), Richardson, TX Anuradha Nag had her initial training from Nataraj Parimal Krishna and later from veteran gurus-the legendary Padmavibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj and his foremost disciple Pandit Vijai Shankar. She had advanced training in abhinaya from Padmabhushan Kalanidhi Narayanan, Smt. Chetna Jalan & Swapna Saswati Sen. She passed the Nritya Prabhakar with distinction at the tender age of 13. She stood 1st in the Pashchim Banga Nikhil Bharatiyo Competition. She taught Kathak at all levels at the Padatik Dance Center in Kolkata and choreographed for the school’s festivals. She has also worked with the mentally challenged children at the Manovikas Kendra for 5 years giving them the joy through dance. Before making USA her home she was a recommended artist for the Sangeet Natak Akademi as well as the Indian Council of Cultural Relations. She had the privilege of working with great gurus and choreographers such as Pt. Birju Maharaj, Smt. Kumudini Lakhia, Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan and Prof. Deitmar Seyffert of Germany. Anuradha has performed extensively in prestigious music conferences in India and in dance festivals throughout the world. She has choreographed many traditional and contemporary themes for the school shows, like Jhalkia, Om, Rituranga, Khoj, Chitrangshu (collection of small compositions), dance drama based on Rabindranath Tagore’s short story Kshuditopashan, Jeevandhara (life and works of Rabindranath Tagore), Panchapravaah and Kathak through the Bollywood Lane. Anuradha believes that dance develops concentration, discipline, concept of space, grace and poise. It establishes the ultimate connection between mind and body which leads to self-confidence and self-expression. This philosophy inspired Anuradha to establish Tarangini School of Kathak Dance in the San Francisco Bay area in 1992. The name was coined by the illustrious doyen of Kathak, Pt. Birju Maharaj himself. Since then, under the auspices of Tarangini School of Kathak Dance, Anuradha has been teaching and performing Kathak in the Bay area and beyond. Ariaki Dandawate, born and brought up in New Jersey, has been studying Kathak under the discipleship of Guru Pandita Archana Joglekar for over 12 years. Having been exposed to the nuances, beauty, and prestigious lineage of Kathak by her guru from a young age, Aria has spent the past several years seriously pursuing every aspect of the art form. In 2014, Aria received her Visharad (Bachelors) degree from the SAMVED Exam Board, and in August of 2016 she presented her Rang Manch Pradarshan (solo performance). Her Visharad degree in Kathak has allowed her to study the essence of the Natya Shastra – a pillar of the arts – as well as become proficient in complex practical and theoretical applications of both Taal and Bhav Anga. In Kathak, Aria has taken part in many powerful performances presented by Archana Nrityalaya, such as ‘Lay Lalit Lalitya’ and ‘Rhythm of Life.’ She has also participated in various dance competitions held in the Tri-State area, winning first place on several occasions with teams from the academy. In the Tri-State area, Ariaki has performed at many events held by various cultural, religious, and philanthropic organizations. In July of 2015, Ariaki was a Top 5 Finalist in Zee TV’s Dance India Dance North America competition held in Mumbai, India. In the last year, Ariaki has taken examinership, sitting as examiner for many exams in both Kendall Park, New Jersey and Dallas, Texas under the SAMVED Exam Board. Apart from her rigorous trianing in Kathak, Ariaki is pursuing her academic interests, now entering her second year at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering where she is studying Biomolecular Science with a minor in Computer Science. Tarangini School of Kathak will showcase four disciples of Auradha Nag including Shivalee Talati, Isha Salian, Nupur Gaidhani and Anupriya Nag. Shivalee Talati has been learning from Smt. Anuradha Nag for more than fifteen years and has represented Tarangini on prestigious platforms such as the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival and the International Kathak Festival in Chicago. She has taken several workshops with Pandit Birju Maharajji. Shivalee received her B.S. in psychology from the University of California, Davis and is currently pursuing her master’s in applied psychology at USC. She has worked with children with mental disabilities and next hopes to work on inter-communication within companies. Isha Salian has been learning from Smt. Anuradha Nag since 2003 and has represented Tarangini in various performances including the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival and the International Kathak Festival in Chicago. She has taken several workshops with Pandit Birju Maharajji. Isha has a B.A. in communication and English and a master’s in journalism from Stanford University. She works as a science and artificial intelligence writer at NVIDIA. Nupur Gaidhani has been learning from Smt. Anuradha Nag since she moved to the U.S. in 2016 and has taken workshops with Pandit Birju Maharajji. She previously had 8 years of training in Nashik