Music Festival of India 10/03/15

Music Festival of India – A Medley of Instrumental & Vocal Recitals Pandit Debojyoti Bose naturally inherits an unstrained musical acumen, for he was born in a family of passionate musicians,on the 20TH day of December 1962 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, KalkeKalakar (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), SangeetNatak Academy Concert (Chennai & Hyderabad), Parampara Concert ICCR (Delhi),ITC Sangeet Sammelan, etc.. He has also toured extensively abroad including USA, Russia, Indonesia, UK, Bandladesh, Australia, etc. Saturday, October 03, 2015 7:00:00 PM Allen Library Civic Auditorium, 300 N. Allen Drive, Allen TX 75013 Sandip was initiated into music by his mother Smt. Krishna Bhattacharjee at the age of four and he continued his talim under Smt. Amita Dasgupta later. At the age of sixteen, Sandip began his training at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy (SRA) under the distinguished guidance of Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan and Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan, sons and disciples of the late legendary Sarangi Maestro Padmashree Ustad Shakoor Khan. In 2003 he joined ITC-SRA as a residential scholar and in 2013 he became an acknowledged musician at the academy. Under both his gurus, Sandip was nurtured in the true guru shishya parampara system of training in the Kirana Gharana. Sandip has accomplished a rare feat: he has lived up to the promise and talent he showed as a child prodigy. He has performed on stage with many renowned musicians, including Ustad Rashid Khan, Ustad Sultan Khan, Vidushi Girija Devi, Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar, Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, Pandit Shiv kumar Sharma ,Pandit Hari Prasad Chourasia, Pandit Rajan Sajan Mishra, Pandit Jasraj, and Ustad Zakir Hussain. He has been honored to share the stage with the Kathak Legend Pt Birju Maharaj at John Kennedy Centre in Washington DC, USA. Sandip holds a Bachelor’s degree from Rabindra Bharati University (Kolkata) in classical music.He ranked First Class First. He is also skilled in singing numerous semi-classical forms like Bhajans, Ghazals, Nazrulgeeti, etc. Sandip is today one of the most promising young classical artists and perform regularly across India and abroad (United States, Europe and Bangladesh). A recipient of the Title Surmani from Sur Singar Sansad Mumbai, Sandip also broadcasts regularly over the All India Radio as an “ A “ Grade artist. Considered among the top class of tabla players from India, Pandit Abhijit Banerjee is one of the most sought after creative artists in the realm of Indian classical music. Apart from his contributions to Indian music he has delved into a diverse variety of world music crossover as both a performer and composer. Recognizing his talent and natural inclination towards music his father steered him to tabla at the age of four. Abhijit also studied vocal music and violin later in his life in making a complete musician out of him. He is considered as one of the main disciples of the illustrious guru, the late Pt. Gyan Prakash Ghosh. Abhijit has accompaniment on tabla nearly all of the top ranking stars of Hindustani classical music including Pt.Ravi Shankar, Late Pt.Nikhil Banerjee, Begum Parweena Sultana, Pt.Jasraj, Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma, Dr.Balamurali Krishnan to name a few. As a tabla soloist he has also left his distinct mark through numerous performances and publications in India & abroad. Abhijit has toured extensively in USA, Canada, U.K., Europe, Japan, Australia, South Africa, South East Asia and Mexico as well as performing in all of the major classical music festivals in India. International performances of note include Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Gevant Haus in Germany, Paleis in Brussels, Theatre de la Ville & Radio France in Paris,BBC whole night music series. Souht Bank, London. In addition to a highly successful career in Indian Classical music, his crossover work includes collaborations with musicians such as Ry Cooder, Larry Corryell and Trilok Gurtu, Jon Santos, Keny Endo and many other. Abhijit founded & established Dhwani Academy of Percussion in Los Angeles and KOlkata attracting talented students from around the world. Amit Kelkar’s musical education began at a very young age at home from his mother Smt. Suniti Kelkar and her father Shri. Narayan Gadgil. Amit taught himself to play the harmonium and performed for the first time on stage at the age of 14. He has provided harmonium accompaniment to several renowned artists over the years, including Pt. Sanjeev Abhyankar, Dr. Prabha Atre, Smt. Minoo Purushottam and Prasad Khaparde. Amit is also a versatile singer and music composer. He is currently learning hindustani vocal music from Dr. Mohankumar Darekar. Amit performs ghazals and light music frequently in the DFW metroplex. Amit holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and also has released three CD-albums released in the United States.

India Dance Festival Anuj Mishra belongs to the famous traditional family of musicians gharana of Varanasi. Anuj is thirteenth generation of artists in his traditional musical family. His forefather Late Shri Shivkishore Mishra was renowned Sarangi player . His grandfather Late Sbhri Nanhu Mishra was a famous Tabla mastero and his father Pt. Arjun mishra is very famous and renowned kathak guru, dancer and choreographer learned under Late shri Ramnarayan Mishra in Kolkata and then by great legend Padamvibhushan Pt. Birju Maharaj. The training of Anuj Mishra started at age of 17 after his high school as he was busy in studies at early age and his father was touring all over the world for performances. Anuj also learned Tabla under the guiedence of Pt. Ravinath Mishra and some vocal by Ustad Gulshan Bharati. Anuj performed kathak in all major dance festivals and events in India and abroad. He worked with many dance companies and renowned choreographers as Karine Saporta, Mallika Sarabhai, Kumudini Lakhia, Rukmini Chaterjee, Lata Pada and more . Anuj won several national and international dance competitions he is a national gold medalist, he also got prestigious title of Shringarmani, Nritya Kawomudhi also Anuj got very prestigious and one of the biggest award “Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar” from Sangeet Natak Academy, National Academy of music, dance and drama from India, performed in big festivals like Sawai gandharva, lucknow mohatsava, Taj mohatsava, Kathak mahotsava, Taj Mahotsava, Konark dance festival, Kalaghoda festival etc and also performed in Many countries as France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Belgium, Norway, England, Canada, Israel, Lebanon, Martinique, Guadalupe etc. He is getting more and more opportunities for more performances in India and abroad. Anuj had done Masters in Kathak from Khairagarh university, Madhya Pradesh and now perusing his P.H.D in Kathak. Anuj is presently Artistic director of Kathak Academy and president of Anuj Arjun Mishras Dance Company [AMC] and also impaneled as establish artist in ICCR [Indian council for cultural relation] and main member of CID [International dance Council] from Europe. Saturday, August 29, 2015 7:30:00 PM University Theater – University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) Sharmila Sharma belongs to a family of artists. Her first stage experience, at the early age of only three. This debut performance captivated the hearts of the audience an she won the first prize After initial training in folk dances, as well as in kathak from her mother Tara Sharma, Sharmila joined the renowned Kathak Kendra in New Delhi Sharmila’s talent blossomed under the tutelage of Pandit Rajendra Kumar Gangani latterly from the guidance of renowned Pandit Birju Maharaj She became A professional dancer at the age of fourteen, and she has been performing in national and international Festivals ever since. Sharmila established herself in Paris, where she began teaching Kathak and She conducts workshops and gives Kathak recitals on a regular basis A tireless dancer, she travels and performs, flitting between Europe and India, where connoisseurs and general audiences alike appreciate her art In this classic art form which is technically rigorous with a lot of virtuosity, Sharmila is constantly on the look out to find new ways of developing her creativity in beauty, with her intelligence and delicate sensitivity. She has done solo performances in prestigious festivals in India at Taj Mahotsav Agra, Khajurao Dance Festival Khajurao, Chakradhar Samaroh in Raigarh, Bharat Bhavan, BhartiyaVidhya Bhavan Chennai, Bharat Bhavan Bhopal, “Chal Man Ganga Yamuna Teer” Festival Allahabad, Naad Niranjanam festival at Tirupati balajee mandir, and many others. She performed and choreographed Ballet “Geet-Govind” for National Television Channel Delhi Doodarshan, Matri Udbodan Ashram Patna.

Hindustani Vocal Recital – Khayal Sangeet Pandit Sanjeev Abhyankar, the maestro from the Mewati Gharana, is an artist of international acclaim in the field of Hindustani Classical Music and devotional music. An extremely popular artist, he is the inspiration for the young generation. Blessed with an exceptionally sweet voice, his vocation in life was clear right from the age of 3. Born in 1969, Sanjeev started learning Hindustani Classical Music, from the tender age of eight. He has been groomed by his mother Smt. Shobha Abhyankar, Pandit Pimpalkhare ji and Padmavibhushan Pandit Jasraj ji. Though his aim had been to pursue a career in music since childhood, he has acquired a bachelor’s Degree in Commerce. Sanjeev rendered his first stage performance in Mumbai, at the age of 11. Since then, he has traveled extensively all over India, performing in all the prestigious conferences and art circles, several times. He has spread the fragrance of Indian Classical music in USA, Canada, Australia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He has received many awards which include the President’s award from the All India Radio in 1990, the prestigious F. I. E. Foundation National Award 1996, The coveted National Award 1998 as the best male playback singer, for the Hindi film ‘Godmother’, the title ‘Sur Ratna’, Rotary Vocational Excellence Award 2002 and Pandit Jasraj Gaurav Puraskar, to name a few. He has also given playback for films such as ‘ Maachis’, ‘Nidaan’, ‘Sanshodhan’ , ‘Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar’ and ‘Banaras’. Saturday, May 30, 2015 7:00:00 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. Ajinkya Joshi started his initial training in music at the age of seven from Shantilal Shah, one of the senior disciples of well-known tabla player Pt. Suresh Talwalkar. At the age of sixteen, Ajinkya moved to Mumbai and underwent intensive training in tabla for more than ten years from Pt. Suresh Talwalkar. Ajinkya is the recipient of the Vishnu Digambar Paluskar Award (1999). He has accompanied his guru in various tabla solo concerts all over India. He has been awarded the National Scholarship for young artistes by the Government of India. He has accompanied various artists in India and has also toured Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Canada and USA for concerts.

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.