Singing Strings 05/10/15

Singing Strings Niladri Kumar is the most popular Indian classical and fusion musician of the current generation and leading sitarist of India . He performed on the sitar from a young age and toured and released albums as an adult. He created a unique instrument, a modified sitar, which he named zitar. Born to sitar player Pandit Kartick Kumar, a disciple of Pt. Ravi Shankar he was considered a child prodigy. He started learning sitar under his father at the age of four. Kumar gave his first public performance at the age of six at Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry. Niladri Kumar began his career with great musiciansLaxmikant-Pyarelal in the late 1980s. He was a part of the Masters of the Percussion tour alongside Zakir Hussain. Kumar has also worked with Jonas Hellborg and V. Selvaganesh on their album Kali’s Son and with John McLaughlin on album Floating Point. Kumar has also worked with various music directors in Hindi cinema, including A.R. Rahman, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Pritam. Niladri was conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi’s Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, awarded to young musicians, in March 2007. Niladri has also won MTV Immies award for the Best Classical/Fusion Instrumental for his album If. Kumar has created a unique instrument, the “zitar”, which is a combination of sitar and guitar. The concept initiated from a traveling sitar, which was modified by Kumar to create rock guitar sound out of it. Kumar reduced the number of strings on the instrument from 20 to five. He also added an electric pickup inside the instrument so that it would sound more like a guitar. His first full album composed using the instrument, titled Zitar, was released in 2008. Kumar wrote the first track for the album Priority in 2003. Over the next five years he improved the track and subsequent track by gauging audience reaction during live performances. He improvised the tracks adding components from various genres such as rock, electronic and lounge. He also won the MN Mathur Award in the 51st Maharana Kumbha Sangeet Samaroh for his contribution to Indian classical music in March, 2013. He has also performed on several popular hindi film songs track including Bunty Aur Babli (Chup Chup Ke), Gangster (Na Jaane Koi), Omakara (naina thag lenge), Life In Metro (Alvida), Dhoom 2 (Crazy Kiya Re), Dabangg 2 (Tere naina bade dagabaaz re), Maazii (Mora Jiya) and several others. He has perfomed traditional classical concerts at all major festivals in India and all prestigious venues all over the world. Sunday, May 10, 2015 3:00:00 PM Allen Library Civic Auditorium, 300 N. Allen Drive, Allen TX 75013 Aditya Kalyanpur is a talented tabla player and percussionist beyond his years, who has made a distinguished career working with some of the most prestigious names in Indian classical, jazz, and fusion genres such as Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, AR Rahman, Shankar Mahadevan, Pandit Jasrajji, Larry Coryell, George Brooks, Kenwood Denard, Boston based jazz band Natraj, Mickey Hart, John Mclaughflin. Kalyanpur was first seen with his Guru Ustad Zakir Hussain for the famous “Wah Taj!” television commercial at the age of 11. Having the honor of being recognized as an “A” Grade Artist of All India Radio, he has given public performances along with his guru. Since then he has lent the enchanting music of his tabla to numerous commercials. Honored with the title of Taal – Mani, Aditya Kalyanpur is the recipient of ITC’s prestigious Vidyasagar Award as well as the Sangeet Visharad. A commerce graduate, Aditya Kalyanpur has also achieved the distinct title as a Music Diplomat from Mumbai University. He has received scholarship from the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training in New Delhi. In addition to many awards given in India and the United States, Kalyanpur is one of the first tabla players ever to be invited to Estonia for the prestigious Orient Arts Festival. As a soloist and accompanist, he has performed at other prestigious music festivals in India and abroad including the Edinburgh festival in Scotland, the Earagal Arts Festival in Ireland, and the Jazz Yatra in Bombay, India.On a more local scene, Kalyanpur has also appeared at the Great Lakes Folk Festival held every year in Lansing, Michigan, and many other festivals and competitions held across the United States. As a mark of his true versatility as a musician, Kalyanpur has performed solo for many bands and instrumental groups, including the world famous The Rolling Stones and also recorded for their saxophonist, Tim Ries. Aditya Kalyanpur is currently the leader of his fusion band Fuzikk, and a member of the world renowned group Bombay Jazz comprised of jazz legends Larry Coryell, George Brooks and Indian Flute Maestro Pandit Ronu Mazumdar.

Ustad Nishat Khan – Live in Concert Ustad Nishat Khan transcends musical barriers with his provocative expression and spellbinding technical mastery. Undeniably the foremost virtuoso of the sitar, he is the torchbearer of seven generations and the 400-year old tradition of India’s most renowned musical family. Maestro Khan stands at the threshold of the future of sitar and Indian music with his uniquely invigorating, contemporary approach. The son and disciple of Ustad Imrat Khan, Nishat has been dazzling audiences since the age of seven and his command of the instrument is unparalleled. The explosive passion of his music envelops the mind and the soul in blissful harmony. Maestro Khan’s virtuosity has been compared to such luminaries as Jimi Hendrix (Chicago Sun Times) and J.S. Bach (Washington Times) because of the ingenious and deeply personal interpretation of his rich musical heritage. Exemplifying the humanity and universality of music, Maestro Khan has mastered not only the North Indian classical idiom but also realms as diverse as Gregorian chant, Western classical music, abstract jazz, and Flamenco. His sensitive phrasing and remarkable intuition for other musical traditions illustrate the freedom and versatility that has led to collaborations with the world’s leading performers and composers such as John McLaughlin, Philip Glass, Paco Pena, Evelyn Glennie, and Django Bates. He has performed at major venues internationally, including Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center in New York , and the Royal Albert Hall in London . In January 2004, the President of Croatia received Maestro Khan in Zagreb , where he performed “Meeting of Angels” with Gregorian chant. Later that year, he was invited to perform alongside Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Jeff Beck, John McLaughlin and others at the Crossroads Festival in Dallas , Texas . In Summer 2007 he toured across India in a fiery fusion with violinist Vanessa Mae. In 2008 he toured Europe with his pioneering project, “Spirit & Passion” featuring Flamenco guitar great Paco Pena, and in the Fall he will perform a solo concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London . Nishat Khan is dedicated to preserving and teaching his family’s musical tradition; he has taught at UCLA and many other prestigious universities, and he routinely conducts master classes internationally. Future projects will continue to showcase his remarkable foresight as a composer and artist, integrating the brilliant complexity of his North Indian heritage with his refreshing and unprecedented innovations on the sitar. Saturday, April 04, 2015 7:00:00 PM Allen Library Civic Auditorium, 300 N. Allen Drive, Allen TX 75013 Gourisankar, a leading Tabla maestro of the present generation, studied Tabla under the able guidance of his father Pandit Shiv Sankar Karmakar. Since 1979, he has been under the tutelage of the tabla maestro Pandit Sankha Chatterjee. Gourisankar is an “A” Grade artist of All India Radio and Television. His talent and creativity are manifest in classical performances, experimental East-West World Music collaboration and North-South musical interactions. He has performed numerous solos and has accompanied most of India’s eminent artists, as well as many famous artists from around the world. In 2008, Gourisankar established the “School of Indian Percussion and Music” (SIPM) in Austin, Texas. Many of his students perform regularly and have benefited greatly from his teaching expertise and dedication.

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 21, 2015 2:00:00 PM Jonsson Performance Hall – University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) Art Stage 2015 musicians include: Vocals – Chittranjan Gupta, Devki Pande, Drishty Mistry, Vrashank Shukla, Surendra Mistry, Seema Bhattacharya, Kiran Sathaye, Diya Nariani, Arushi Sen, Sumeesha Gupta, Neha Bidnurkar, Suparna Ukey, Chetan Moghe, Tanvi Deshpande, Varenya Shrikant, Samhita Kumar & Shibani Sinha. Kathak – Ruchi Kale, Ishani Kale, Ritu Trivedi, Sanika Bhave, Amrita Mahendra, Juhi Agarwal, Meghna Thakur, Rishika Prakash, Mrinmayee Wadekar, Shreya Rajhans, Ria Bhasin & Komal Redkar. Sitar – Neena Sharma & Usha Shrivastava Harmonium – Kalindi Sathaye & Surendra Mistry Tabla – Neerav Dalal, Shantanu Bhattacharya, Surendra Mistry, Emad Siddiqui, Shahrukh Taj, Shreyas Dravekar, Ayan Kichambare, Prakash Shrivastava & Mahesh Ruikar. Violin – Aastha Trehan, Sohni Patel & Mihir Patel.

Riyaaz Qawwali – Live in Concert Riyaaz Qawwali is an ensemble that represents the unique diversity and plurality of South Asia. The ensemble’s 8 musicians, who are settled in the United States, hail from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and also represent multiple religious and spiritual backgrounds. Trained in eastern and western classical music, the members have been professionally performing qawwali for the past eight years. With conservative growth and heightened attention to quality, Riyaaz Qawwali has performed across the continental U.S., as well as internationally in Panama. Riyaaz Qawwali’s mission is to expose qawwali to new audiences, while still paying homage to traditional qawwali that has been in existence for 700+ years. The ensemble wants to expand the reach of the genre to new stages and people of other faiths and traditions. The founding members of Riyaaz Qawwali chose the qawwali genre of music because it houses unique musical elements in its repertoire that are not found in any other form of South Asian music. Riyaaz Qawwali combines this with poetry from famous South Asian poets of multiple linguistic and religious backgrounds to create a universal message of oneness. Riyaaz Qawwali incorporates works from poetic giants like Mirza Ghalib, Amir Khusrow, Bulleh Shah, Mir Taqi Mir, Sant Kabir and Guru Nanak, and in doing so, hopes to expose these poets’ works to new audiences and younger generations. Riyaaz Qawwali also uses numerous languages to represent the linguistic and cultural diversity that exists in South Asia. These languages include Urdu, Punjabi, Persian, Gujarati, and Hindi. Saturday, December 06, 2014 7:30:00 PM Allen Library Civic Auditorium, 300 N. Allen Drive, Allen TX 75013

Hindustani Vocal Recital – Khayal Sangeet Hailing from the rich traditions of Dharwad, Pandit Kumar Mardur has had his training from his father Pandit Somanath Mardur, a renowned Hindustani Classical Vocalist of Kirana Gharana and a senior disciple of the late Padmabhushan Dr. Basavaraj Rajguru. Endowed with a melodious voice, he is known for pure and aesthetic presentation of ragas, crystal clear taan patterns and command over laya. Kumar has completed his Master’s Degree in Music from Karnatak University, Dharwad. He has received several scholarships and is performing all over the country enthralling audiences. Since 2011, he is working as a Musician Tutor at ITC-SRA. An approved artiste of Akashwani and Doordarshan, Kumar has had numerous performances across the length and breadth of the country, including the Sawai Gandharva Mahotsav in 2011 and a highly successful 3 month USA tour in 2008. The many accolades that have come Kumar’s way include the Padmavibhushan Dr. Mallikarjun Mansur Yuva Puraskar from Dr.Mallikarjun Mansur Memorial National Trust, Dharwad in 2010, Dr.Vasantrao Deshpande Memorial Yuva Kalakar Puraskar 2007 from by Dr.Vasantrao Deshpande Memorial Foundation, Pune; the Vidyasagar Award 2006 from Music Forum, Mumbai; Yuva Gayak Puraskar from Gandharva Mahavidyalay, Pune and 1st prize at several student and youth festivals and competitions. Saturday, November 08, 2014 8:00:00 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. Satish Kolli is a popular harmonium accompanist from Karnataka. He is the disciple of the late Pandit Vasant Kanakapur. He is currently under the tutelage of Shri Vyasmurti Katti. He has accompanied various prominent vocalists, supported percussionists with his “Lehra” and also played for movie tracks.

Music Festival of India: Medley Two Great Recitals Guitar maestro Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya evolves into a global inspiration in the arena of contemporary musical uprising. The musical journey is a counterpart to what remains a fond reminiscence of a child’s fancy with a Hawaiian lap guitar at the age of four. The multi-dimensional intrigue of invention became a passion with the making and widespread recognition of the patented Chaturangui (a 24-string hollow neck guitar), Gandharvi (a 14-string guitar which holds the longest glissando) and Anandi (a 4-string slide Ukulele ) which not only excels in sound variety and quality but has become the designer’s choice. With the lineage of Gurus like Pandit Brij Bhushan Kabra and Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty the inspiration has gone beyond performance. Born to musician parents Pt Debashish Bhattacharya, a child prodigy, was initiated into Indian classical singing, but was drawn to the guitar because of the ability to emulate the human voice by using the slide. Past performances of Debashish have include John McLaughlin and his latest incarnation of Shakti, Bob Brozman that resulted in the album Mahima. Led Kaapana, Martin Simpson are the others. The uncanny ability of sliding like a voice and mesmerizing tantrakaari ang put Debashish Bhattacharya as a leading slide guitarist of the world. This extremely personable and gifted artiste takes us on a timeless journey through the history of Indian Classical Music, bringing it into the 21st century, with detours into the Blues and Hawaiian music as well. His work has earned him president of India award in 1984, The Asiatic Society Gold Medal in 2005 and BBC Planet Award for World Music in 2007. Saturday, September 20, 2014 7:00:00 PM Allen Library Civic Auditorium, 300 N. Allen Drive, Allen TX 75013 Blessed with a mellifluous voice and exceptional versatility, Pritam Bhattacharjee is one of the most accomplished and acclaimed Indian Classical vocalists of his generation, who has performed at most of the prestigious festivals around the world. He is a leading exponent of the illustrious Mewati Gharana. In addition to being a renowned vocalist, Pritam is also a brilliant and an acclaimed composer, who has written and composed over 400 compositions in different Ragas (melodic patterns), which he has presented at many festivals. Pritam has also experimented with different genres of music through his own compositions and performances. Hailing from Silchar, Assam in India, Pritam is one of the foremost disciples of the legendary Mewati Maestro Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj, and has received rigorous training under Pandit Jasraj’s tutelage since he was 12 years old. Pritam had earlier begun his initial training at a tender age of 4 years from his mother Mrs. Manjushree Bhattacharjee and then under other Gurus including, Shri Sundhanshu Deb, Shri Vijay Chakraborty and Shri Amarendra Chakraborty. Pritam has performed at many concerts and prestigious festivals in India and abroad, including Aarohi Festival (Mumbai), Pandit Motiram Maniram Sangeet Samaroha (Hyderabad), Harivallabh Music Festival (Jalandhar), Saptak Music Festival (Ahmedabad), Avishkar Smriti Samaroha (Goa), Ustad Alladiya Khan Music Festival (Mumbai), Sudarshan Sangeet Sabha (Pune), LearnQuest Festival (Boston, USA), South Asian Performing Arts Foundation (SAPAF),etc.. He has also traveled extensively and performed with his Guruji, Pandit Jasraj ji, in prominent music festivals. Currently he is faculty at the Pandit Jasraj school of music in Atlanta. Subhashish Bhattacharya is one of the most prominent name in the younger generation Tabla artists. He belongs to Rampur Farukhabad schooling of Tabla, as he has been studying under Late Pandit Shyamal Bose, Pandit Prabir Bhattacharya, and Pandit Samir Chatterjee and now he is disciple of maestro Pandit Anindo Chatterjee. At the age of thirteen he has performed in Jadubhatta Music Conference. Since then he has performed almost every music festivals and conference in India like ITC Sangeet Sammelan, Bishwa Banga Sammelan (Kolkata), Swati Thirunal Music Conference (Trivandrum), Music Today Swar Utsav (Delhi), Spicmacay (Virasat, Delhi), Chennai Music Academy, Pracheen Kalakendra (Chandigarh), NCPA (Bombay), Uttar Para Sangeet Chakra (Kolkata) and The Dover Lane Music Conference to name a few. Abroad He has performed in USA, Canada, France, The Netherlands, Greece, South Africa and Quait to participate in innumerous number of concerts and Festivals. Subhasis has performed in the 50th anniversary of India Independence Day at the United Nations (NY). Subhasis is the participant artiste of the International Band “SILK AND STEEL”, and “THIEVES OF SLEEP”. He is a member of Calcutta Cene Music association. He has scored rhythm as background music in many Films and T.V.Serials. Pankaj Mishra is born into an exceptional Musician-lineage. Being the son of Shri Satya Narayan Mishra, Great Grandson of Sarangi virtuoso Late Pt. Saraju Prasad Mishra and Grandson of Late Pt. Mahadeo Prasad Mishra. Pankaj was trained from an early age by the renowned Sarangi player of Banaras Gharana late Pt. Mahesh Prasad Mishra. Pankaj created a distinct style of playing & has performed both as a Solo artist and an accompanist at several prestigious events in India including the Dover Lane Music Conference, ITC Festival , Indo Occidental Symbiosis, The Salt Lake Music Festival more. He has toured extensively in USA, Canada, Europe, Japan, Bangladesh and more. He has accompanied with highly regarded Tabla players like late Pt. Shyamal Bose, Pt. Swapan Chaudhury, Pt. Anindo Chatterjee, Pt. Kumar Bose, Ud. Sabir Khan, Pt.Samar Saha, Subhankar Banerjee, Ud. Tari Khan, etc. He has also accompanied vocalists like Girija Devi, Purnima Chaudhury, Pt. Dinanath Mishra, Kathak exponents like Pt. Birju Maharaj, Pt Rammohan Maharaj, Pt.Vijay Shankar, Ghazal Maestro Ghulam Ali & Sabri Brothers of Pakistan, more on list

India Dance Festival India Dance Festival will present several fine dance performances by some of the leading artists featuring Odissi and 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. Over the centuries, it has attained refinement and enriched itself by the establishment of distinct styles and gharanas. Odissi, a recognized form of Indian classical dance, is from the eastern state of Orissa. Odissi dates back to 2nd century B.C. and is well known for its grace, fluid movements and strong footwork. Odissi postures can be seen in the sculptures of ancient Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist temples and caves of Orissa. Saturday, September 06, 2014 7:30:00 PM University Theater – University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) Kaustavi Sarkar; winner of prominent awards including Singar-Mani, Nalanda-NrityaNipuna, Odissi-Jyoti and researcher at Ohio State University; is an Indian classical dancer, choreographer, dance-scholar and educator, performing and teaching well over the past decade. Recognized as one of leading Odissi dance exponents, she is nominated as an Indian national fellow working on meaning-making processes in dance studies as pertaining to South Asian dance. She is the Artistic Director of an organization called Multicultural Center for Embodied Aesthetics, International Outreach and Social Activism (MCCA) and founded the initiative called Odissi at Ohio State (O2). Kaustavi regularly presents her scholarly work as well as her creative work in dance conferences, festivals and conducts master-classes/ lecture-demonstrations across universities in Europe and America. Currently, Kaustavi teaches Odissi at the Ohio State University. Actively involved in the diasporic Indian community, Kaustavi is dedicated to a life engaged in scholarship, performance, pedagogy, leadership and activism. She has an Master of Science in Economics with specialization in Finance and has worked in New York, Kolkata and Mumbai as a financial analyst for over eight years. Acknowledged by connoisseurs as a solo dancer of repute and a creative choreographer of rare calibre, Prerana Deshpande is among the leading complete solo Kathak dancers of her generation. Internationally acclaimed as a creative dancer whose work reveals the perpetually expanding horizons of the traditional form, Prerana is regarded for her exquisite command over the fundamentals of Kathak – Rhythm, Grace, & Expression and for her creativity rooted in the tradition of this dance form. Greatly appreciated by all audiences for her expertise in Kathak, she is regularly invited to perform as a solo artist at all major venues and festivals in India and abroad. Her evolving body of work of choreography and collaborative productions, which includes music of varied genre, highlights her keen awareness about musical aesthetics. Prerana believes it to be divine blessing that the great maestro, Guru Dr. Rohini Bhate accepted her as a disciple and thought fit to impart one-to-one teaching of Kathak. Prerana is a first student of Rohiniji who passed Master of Arts (M.A.) form University of Poona and stood first in the Dance. Before learning from Rohiniji for past 22 years, she learnt for about 8 years from Smt. Sharadini Gole. Recipient of numerous awards, Prerana has been felicitated by legendary Pt. Birju Maharaj with ‘Gaurav Puruskar’. Prerana has also been honoured with the title of ‘Nrityashri’ and was conferred the title of ‘Singar Mani’ by the Sur Singar Samsad of Mumbai.

Hindustani Vocal Recital – Khayal Sangeet Padmabhushan Dr. Prabha Atre is perhaps the only performer who has also excelled as a brilliant thinker, academician, author, composer and teacher of music. She is the senior most front ranking vocalist in the country representing the Kirana gharaanaa, today. A Science and Law graduate, she also holds a Doctorate in music. A former Assistant Producer with the All India Radio, former Professor and Head of the Department of Music, SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai, and former Producer-Director of the recording company ‘Swarashree’, devoted only to Classical Music, Dr. Prabha Atre has a rare blend of skill and insight. She has displayed constant innovation and creative endeavour which has distinguished her from other vocalists, both in the classical and light classical idioms. Dr. Prabha Atre was trained in the traditional `guru-shishya paramparaa’ system by the late Sureshbabu Mane and his famous sister, Padmabhushan Hirabai Badodekar, both stalwarts of the Kirana gharaanaa and drew much inspiration from the styles of renowned maestros, Amir Khan and Bade Gulam Ali Khan. Dr. Atre has authored academic books on the various aspects of music that are especially relevant to the present day performance. She is a ‘Top’ Grade artist of the All India Radio. Whether it is khyaal, tarana, thumri, dadra, ghazal or bhajan, she has a distinct style and typical ingenuity in design and presentation. Dr. Prabha Atre has been honored with the National Awards – ‘Padmashree’, ‘Padmabhushan’, ‘Kalidas Samman’, ‘Sangeet Natak Akademi’ award and ‘Tagore Akademi Ratna’ in recognition of her exceptional creativity, highest artistic excellence, outstanding achievement and distinguished life time services in the field of classical vocal music. Saturday, May 17, 2014 7:00:00 PM Allen Library Civic Auditorium, 300 N. Allen Drive, Allen TX 75013 Dr. Chetna Banawat is the disciple of internationally renowned Hindustani Classical Vocalist of Kirana Gharana Padmbhushan awardee, Honorable Dr. Prabha Atre. She has been taking lesson on Indian classical vocal and light classical since 1999. Born in a Musical family in Udaipur, Chetna received her internal training in music from her mother Smt. Madana Banawat and her father Shri Ramnarayan Banawat. She has been fortunate to receive lessons on Tappa Gaayki from Pt. Bala Saheb Poochwale, the maestro from Gwalior Gharana. Chetna has given music program, concerts, lecture-demos all over India. She has received many awards like Surmani Award, Dagar Award, Master Madan Award, Sangeet Surnandan Award, Shastriya Sangeet Kala Ratna Samman, Sangeet Natak Academy Yuva Purskaar, etc. Vikas Naregal from Bangalore, a Graded artist of AIR Bangalore, started showing interest towards the art of Tabla at the age of 8. He was motivated and highly encouraged by his parents Mohan Naregal and Anuradha Naregal. Vikas comes from a family of musical background. His maternal grandfather, Late. Ramachandra Desai was a famous Harmonium player, vocalist and a noted music teacher at Hubli. Vikas Naregal started his initial tutelage under Pt. Hire Gowdar, continued with Pt. Vishwanath Nakod, Pt. Sheshagiri Hangal, and Pt. M. Nagesh. Presently, under guru Pt. Ravindra Yavagal he is learning skills to inculcate Ustad Tirakhwara style of Tabla playing for the past 12 years. Vikas has accompanied several famous Hindustani vocalists like Pt. Vinayak Thoravi, Pt. Parameshwar Hegde, Pt. Venkatesh Kumar, Pt. Jayateertha Mevundi, Vid. Sangeetha Katti Kulakarni and upcoming hindustani vocalists like Sri Kaushik Aithal, Kum. Anagha Bhatt, Kum. Amrutha Rao, Sri. Balachandra Prabhu and many others. He has also participated in many Tabla Ensembles with renowned artists and solo performance with Tabla Maestro Pt. Ravindra Yavagal. He has actively participated in many commercial audio/video recordings and also performed at several major music festivals in India. Sameer Kotasthane learnt classical vocal music under the guidance of Pt. Vijay Koparkar and Pt. T D Janorikar – he is currently training under Dr. Ram Deshpande, a senior disciple of Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar and Pt. Yashwantbua Joshi. He received the National Cultural Talent Scholarship and several dozen awards in India. All India Radio and National Television have aired his performances. He has been invited to conduct lecture demonstrations by Central Texas organizations such as ICMCA and SPICMACAY. He has accompanied distinguished artists like Pt. Ajay Pohankar, Vidyadhar Vyas, Dr. Ram Deshpande and Prasad Khaparde.

Sarangi & Mandolin Jugalbandi Mastering over one of the most difficult string instruments ‘ Sarangi’, Pandit Ramesh Mishra is today acclaimed as an outstanding artist of India. Son of great sarangi maestro Pt. Ramnath Mishra, he started his initial intensive training at very tender age from his father and acquired further knowledge and training from finest musicians of Banaras Gharana Pandit Hanuman Prasad Mishra and late Pandit Gopal Mishra. Later on he went under the tutelage of the legendary maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar. Besides a recipient of India’s most prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for the year 2008 for his outstanding contribution in the field of music (sarangi), Pt. Ramesh Mishra also received of Sangeet Natak Award of Uttar Pradesh 1992, honored with Geetanjali, Uttam, Dishari Award, Jhadhu Bhatta award from West Bengal in 2007 and various other awards from different musical organizations. Both as soloist and accompanist, Pandit Ramesh Mishra traveled all over the world accompanying internationally reputed artists. In addition he has produced numerous recordings including his own solo records and earned a niche in the hearts of millions of music lovers. He is an asset to the music world and his mesmerizing melodies produced by his sarangi can be heard in many music productions including Ravi Shankar’s ‘live in Kremlin’ and the Grammy nominated album ‘Legacy’ produced by the legendary Ali Akbar Khan. He was also a participating artist in the production of the “Concert for George” at Royal Albert Hall in London, November 2002. Pandit Mishra is one of the recording artist in Aero Smith’s much acclaimed album ” Nine Lives “. Saturday, April 19, 2014 7:00:00 PM Allen Library Civic Auditorium, 300 N. Allen Drive, Allen TX 75013 Snehasish Mozumder is among those few established musicians in India who has mastered the art of playing Mandolin, and has blended it perfectly into the style of Hindustani Indian Classical Music. He started his initial training at the age of four with Tabla and then Mandolin under the guidance of his grandfather late Sri Bibhuty Ranjan Mozumder and then he took training under his father Sri Himanshu Mozumder and his uncle late Sri Ranjan Mozumder. Gradually he switched over to his cousin Tejendra Narayan Majumdar who is a well-known sarod player. He continued his study under late Acharya Ajoy Sinha Roy who was a beloved disciple of Baba Allauddin Khan Saheb, the founder of Maihar Gharana and he takes lesson of laykari under the guidance of Pandit Anil Palit who is a senior most disciple of Pandit Kishan Maharaj. Finally he came under the tutelage of Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty. Snehasish, has performed many major festivals in India like Sankat Mochan Utsav of Varanasi, Swami Haridas Sangeet Sanmelan of Mumbai,Indian Habitat Centre of Delhi, Bhowanipur Sangeeet Sanmelan, GolPark Ramkrishna Mission of Kolkata and Saltlake Music Conference of Kolkata etc, and also he has toured Europe, UK and USA and made a very good name amongst the music lovers. He is the recipient of Surmani and Jadubhatta Awards. Gourisankar Karmar, the grandson of famed dhrupadiya (vocalist) Jotindra Mohan Karmakar, began studying and playing tabla at the young age of three years old under the guidance of his father, Mr. Shib Shankar Karmakar – a noted disciple of the tabla maestro, the late Ustad Keramatulla Khan. In conjunction with his studies, Gourisankar pursued the art and technique of tabla seriously and soon developed superb control over the instrument. Since 1979, he has been under the tutelage of the Tabla Maestro Sankha Chatterjee. Gourisankar is an “A” grade Artist with All India Radio and Doordarshan/ Televison. He has been touring extensively internationally for the past 20 years and has a unique combination of playing styles reflecting the Farukhabad and Punjab Gharanas. He has conducted several concert tours in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. He has accompanied eminent artists such as Pt V.G. Jog, Pt A.T. Kannan, Pt Muneswar Dayal, Pt. Manilal Nag, Lakshmi Shankar, Pt. Budhaditya Mukherjee, Ud. Shahid Parvez, Ud. Shujat Khan, Pt. Kushal Das and Indrajit Banerjee. In addition to his yearly tours, he has made great progress in promoting Tabla/Indian Classical Music through teaching and has many students worldwide.

Padmabhushan Pandits Rajan & Sajan Mishra Live in Concert – A Rare Afternoon Concert PADMABHUSHAN Pandits Rajan & Sajan Mishra hail from the holy city of Banaras (Varanasi), which is home to some of the world’s best vocalists, instrumentalists, percussionists and dancers. They belong to a family of eminent musicians of the Banaras Gharana. A family of maestros that comprises of legends such as Pandit Ganeshji Misra (Great Grandfather), Pandit Sursahai Misra, Pandit Bade Ram Dasji Misra (Grandfather), Pandit Hanuman Misra (Father), and Pandit Gopal Misra (Uncle). Highly regarded as the most successful duo of our times, Pandits Rajan and Sajan Mishra are known for their extensive repertoire of Khayal. Endowed with sonorous and sensitive voices, the Misra brothers have also excelled in rendering light classical forms such as Tappa, Tarana and Bhajan. With rich and well cultivated voices that complement each other extremely well, these brothers have raised the duet form of singing to new heights of spiritual sublimity. The hallmark of their style is the superb intonation, beautiful imagination and their traditional approach which blends the old compositions with their own creations, using an amazing vocal range and technique. The legendary Mishra Brothers have been performing regularly in most major music festivals all over the world for the past 30 years.& have won many major awards such as Padma Bhushan (2007); Sangeet Natak Academy; Kumar Gandharva; Sangeet Ratna (Allahabad); Sangeet Bhushan (Varanasi); Kashi Gaurav (benaras),Sangeet Nayak (Chandigarh) & many others. Sunday, March 02, 2014 2:00:00 PM Allen Library Civic Auditorium, 300 N. Allen Drive, Allen TX 75013 Vyasmurti Katti was initiated into music at a very young age by his sisters. Later, he went on to take systematic training in harmonium under the able guidance of Ramacharya Bagewadi of Solapur. Presently he is learning vocal music under the tutelage of Indudhar Nirody, a senior exponent of the Agra Gayaki. Katti is equally adept in harmonium accompaniment and in playing harmonium solo. He has accompanied several eminent artistes and has also given vocal concerts. He plays nagma with Tabla solo and Kathak performances. Having performed in India and overseas, Vyasmurti Katti has given up a career as an Electronics Engineer (B.E.-Electronics), to pursue music full time. 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.