Siddhartha Belmannu (vocals), Prasad Kamath (Harmonium) and Roopak Kallurkar (Tabla)

Khayal Sangeet – Hindustani Vocal Recital Siddhartha Belmannu is a young talented musician hailing from Karkala in Udupi district ofKarnataka. Born into the music loving family of Usha & Prasad Belmannu who recognized early on that he was endowed with a gifted voice, fluent in 3 octaves. Discerning his musical talent, his parents enrolled him for initial training in Carnatic Classical Music. Later, he was exposed to Hindustani Classical Music and continued his studies under the tutelage of Sri P R Manjunath.Later he started training under the legendary musician, Pandit Vinayak Torvi, doyen of Gwaliorand Kirana Gharana where he is undergoing vigorous training in the Gurukul system from thepast 8 years. Siddhartha has been performing all across India on many prestigious platforms.Siddhartha has also been performing Jugalbandi with various Hindustani and Carnatic vocalistsand instrumentalists. He has worked with The Grammy winning composer Ricky Kej for many ofhis live concerts and projects. He has performed Indian classical fusions with various artists.Siddhartha also excels in light music such as Marathi Abhangs, Kannada Devarnaama andVachanaas. While Classical Hindustani Music is his core, Siddhartha also enjoys playbacksinging and has sung for many movies. Prasad Kamath started musical journey at the tender age of 7 under the guidance of VidwanMahabhaleshwar Bhagwath. Over the years, Prasad has honed his skills under the tutelage ofthe renowned Harmonium Maestro and composer, Sri Sudhir Nayak. Academically, Prasad holdsa B-Tech degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Karnataka.Prasad is also widely acknowledged for his sensitive accompaniment to Raag Sangeet, as well as his creative dynamism in semi-classical forms such as Thumri, Dadra, Bhajans, and more. Hehas accompanied senior vocalists like Pt. Sajan Mishra, Pt. Vinayak Torvi, Pt. Indudhar Nirody,Pt. Ram Deshpande, Pt. Shaunak Abhisheki, Pt. Jayateerth Mevundi, Pt. Upendra Bhat, Pt.Milind Chittal, and Vidushi Apoorva Gokhale, among others. He has also had the privilege ofaccompanying the younger generation of musicians, such as Dhananjay Hegde, SiddharthBelmannu, Aniruddh Aithal, Ramakant Gayakwad, Rutuja Lad, Priya Purushottaman, and manyothers. Roopak Kallurkar began his musical journey at the tender age of 3 under the expert guidance ofhis guru and father, Pt. Rajagopal Kallurkar, a renowned table maestro from FarukhabadGharana. Born into a distinguished musical family, Roopak was immersed in the world of musicfrom early age. His mother, Smt. Vijayalaxmi Kallurkar, is a celebrated Hindustani classicalvocalist. Roopak has performed at many popular music festivals in India. He is also one of themost respected solo tabla artists of his generation. He has accompanied many of the greatestHindustani musicians, including Pt. Vinayak Torvi, Pt. Venkatesh Kumar, Pt. JayatheerthMevundi, Pt. Pravin Godkhindi, Pt. Kaivalya Kumar Gurav, Pt. Vasantha Kanakapur, Ud FayazKhan, Ud Shafiq Khan, Ud Rafeed Khan, Ud Mukthyaarali Khan and many more. He has alsocollaborations with renowned Carnatic musicians such as Vid. Mysore Manjunath, Vid. MysoreNagaraj, Vid. Kumaresh, and Vid. Ambi Subramaniam, Vid Vidyabhushan and many more. Saturday, October 11 4.00 PM 4020 Hedgcoxe Road, Suite 150, Plano, Texas 75024 Khayal Sangeet – Hindustani Vocal Recital Siddhartha Belmannu is a young talented musician hailing from Karkala in Udupi district ofKarnataka. Born into the music loving family of Usha & Prasad Belmannu who recognized early on that he was endowed with a gifted voice, fluent in 3 octaves. Discerning his musical talent, his parents enrolled him for initial training in Carnatic Classical Music. Later, he was exposed to Hindustani Classical Music and continued his studies under the tutelage of Sri P R Manjunath.Later he started training under the legendary musician, Pandit Vinayak Torvi, doyen of Gwaliorand Kirana Gharana where he is undergoing vigorous training in the Gurukul system from thepast 8 years. Siddhartha has been performing all across India on many prestigious platforms.Siddhartha has also been performing Jugalbandi with various Hindustani and Carnatic vocalistsand instrumentalists. He has worked with The Grammy winning composer Ricky Kej for many ofhis live concerts and projects. He has performed Indian classical fusions with various artists.Siddhartha also excels in light music such as Marathi Abhangs, Kannada Devarnaama andVachanaas. While Classical Hindustani Music is his core, Siddhartha also enjoys playbacksinging and has sung for many movies.   Prasad Kamath started musical journey at the tender age of 7 under the guidance of VidwanMahabhaleshwar Bhagwath. Over the years, Prasad has honed his skills under the tutelage ofthe renowned Harmonium Maestro and composer, Sri Sudhir Nayak. Academically, Prasad holdsa B-Tech degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Karnataka.Prasad is also widely acknowledged for his sensitive accompaniment to Raag Sangeet, as well as his creative dynamism in semi-classical forms such as Thumri, Dadra, Bhajans, and more. Hehas accompanied senior vocalists like Pt. Sajan Mishra, Pt. Vinayak Torvi, Pt. Indudhar Nirody,Pt. Ram Deshpande, Pt. Shaunak Abhisheki, Pt. Jayateerth Mevundi, Pt. Upendra Bhat, Pt.Milind Chittal, and Vidushi Apoorva Gokhale, among others. He has also had the privilege ofaccompanying the younger generation of musicians, such as Dhananjay Hegde, SiddharthBelmannu, Aniruddh Aithal, Ramakant Gayakwad, Rutuja Lad, Priya Purushottaman, and manyothers.   Roopak Kallurkar began his musical journey at the tender age of 3 under the expert guidance ofhis guru and father, Pt. Rajagopal Kallurkar, a renowned table maestro from FarukhabadGharana. Born into a distinguished musical family, Roopak was immersed in the world of musicfrom early age. His mother, Smt. Vijayalaxmi Kallurkar, is a celebrated Hindustani classicalvocalist. Roopak has performed at many popular music festivals in India. He is also one of themost respected solo tabla artists of his generation. He has accompanied many of the greatestHindustani musicians, including Pt. Vinayak Torvi, Pt. Venkatesh Kumar, Pt. JayatheerthMevundi, Pt. Pravin Godkhindi, Pt. Kaivalya Kumar Gurav, Pt. Vasantha Kanakapur, Ud FayazKhan, Ud Shafiq Khan, Ud Rafeed Khan, Ud Mukthyaarali Khan and many more. He has alsocollaborations with renowned Carnatic musicians such as Vid. Mysore Manjunath, Vid. MysoreNagaraj, Vid. Kumaresh, and Vid. Ambi Subramaniam, Vid Vidyabhushan and many more. Saturday, October 11 4.00 PM 4020 Hedgcoxe Road, Suite 150, Plano, Texas 75024

Sitar Recital – Sublime Melodies : Pt. Ravi Chary (Sitar) & Amit Kavthekar (Tabla) Pandit Ravi Chary is the first sitarist to have emerged from the landscape of Goa. He is a sought after performing artiste, both as a soloist and in collaboration with artists. Ravi Chary is the son of the late Pt. Prabhakar Chari, a noted tabla player, academician & musicologist of Goa. His father was undoubtedly his first guru who encouraged him to learn the tabla and harmonium as proficiently as the sitar. His foray into learning the nuances of the sitar began with the Prof. Abdul Karim Khan in Goa, following which he came to Mumbai to learn from the illustrious Ustad Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan. He continues his journey with the Sitar under the tutelage of the sitar maestro Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan. Ravi has had the privilege of performing with some of the best Indian musicians – Ustad Allarakha Khan, Gaan Saraswati Kishori Amonkar, Vidwan Vikku Vinayakram, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pt. Suresh Talwalkar, Ustad Sultan Khan, Louiz Banks, Ranjit Barot, Fazal Qureshi, Taufiq Qureshi, Sivamani to name a few. Ravi has performed alongside artists with different musical styles globally. These include the virtuoso percussionist – Trilok Gurtu and established foreign artists like Salif Keita, Kai Eckhardt, Angélique Kidjo, Ben Watkins, Pacco Sairre, Kudsi Eulgner & Robert Miles. His musical synergies have translated well in various mediums – live performances, music albums, festivals, films and television. Ravi featured on the Grammy nominated album “Miles from India” along with an ensemble of over 30 musicians. Louiz Banks, Wallace Roney, Jimmy Cobb, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin amongst others paid tribute to the world renowned jazz legend Miles Davis. Ravi has recorded with Trilok Gurtu for his fusion and contemporary jazz albums -The Glimpse, African Fantasy, Beat of Love, Broken Rhythm, Moving Images. He featured on a number of songs produced by Leslie Lewis & Karsh Kale for MTV Coke Studio and also performed with the rock band Zero for the television series. His affinity for collaborating on jazz projects showed when Ravi recorded with the famed Spanish jazz band – Jaume Vilaseca Quartet on their albums – Mumbai & Coming Home and toured with them across various festivals spanning 5 countries. Ravi has toured extensively with various groups and foreign artistes and performed at the following festivals. Young and talented Amit Kavthekar (“GANDA-BANDH SHAGIRD” of Late Ustad Allarakha) has rhythm running in his veins. At the early age of six, he was being groomed in the art of playing tabla by the legendary Ustad Allarakha. He has also been fortunate enough to be taught tabla intricacies by Ustad Zakir Hussain – a maestro in Indian classical music an international phenomenon in the fields of percussion and world music. Amit has played with many eminent Indian Classical Musicians such as Ustad Zakir Hussain and Sivamani on Zee TV in India, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan at Google Talks, Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan at Berklee College of Music, Ustad Ashish Khan at Learnquest Festival at Regis College MA, Pt. Buddhadev Dasgupta in Baithak, Boston MA, Pt. Kushal Das at MIT, Pt. Shivkumar Sharma in his Documentary directed by Jabbar Patel in India, Pt. Jasraj in his vocal recital in Pune India and many others. Recently, Amit played at the United Nations Day Concert 2018 with Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ayaan Ali Bangash and Amaan Ali Bangash as well as with the Refugee Orchestra project. Amit has frequent collaborations with western classical, jazz and fusion musicians – He is a member of the Purnalokha quartet along with David Balakrishnan of the grammy winning Turtle Island Quartet. He has also played with the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra and is also a founder member of the band Sawaari, which explores music from different parts of the world. Recently, Amit started working with renowned and one of the best Jazz guitar players Al Di Meola and now he is the integral part of Al Di Meola acoustic trio Project. Amit is currently teaching Tabla in the New England School of Music based in Massachusetts. He also teaches master classes and workshops in universities. June 7th 2025, Saturday 4.00 PM Kathak Rhythms Studio, 4020 Hedgcoxe Road, Suite 150, Plano, TX 75024 Tickets: ICMC Members: Free; General: $50; Students: $30

Hindustani Vocal Recital – Khayal Sangeet – A Baithak Style Concert Yashaswi Sirpotdar is undisputedly recognized today as one of the most promising young vocalists in Hindustani classical music. With numerous prestigious awards to her credit and a series of highly acclaimed performances across India’s most esteemed music festivals, she has firmly established herself as a distinguished artist in the contemporary concert scene. Her musical journey began at an incredibly young age under the guidance of her first guru—her grandmother, Late Kalawati Sathe, a musician herself. At just two and a half years old, Yashaswi gave her first public performance, playing the harmonium while sitting on her grandmother’s lap. This early initiation into music laid the foundation for her lifelong dedication to the art. She later received advanced training from the renowned Pandita Smt. Padma Talwalkar, under whose tutelage she honed her skills for over 15 years. Her academic achievements include a first-class Sangeet Visharad and a degree in Economics. She had received various prestigious awards and also graded artist of All India Radio (AIR). Pandit Ramdas Palsule is a popular name amongst Indian Classical Music enthusiasts and has carved a niche for himself since a very young age. Born in well-educated family in Pune, his father Shri. Gajanan Palsule was a recipient of the prestigious Kalidas Sanman President’s award for his work in Sanskrit literature and for his Sanskrit book on Veer Savarkar. An alumnus of prestigious alma – maters like Jnana Prabodhin Prashala and College of Engineering, Pune, Ramdas has a strong academic foundation. He was introduced to Tabla by Pt. G.L. Samant. Later, he became the disciple of world-famous Tabla Maestro Taalyogi Pandit Suresh Talwalkar. It was after achieving his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering that he chose his passion as his profession. He serves as a Guru at The Lalit Kala Kendra (Center for Performing Arts) of University of Pune since 1997, and at Bharti Vidyapeeth School of Performing Arts. Ramdas is a founding member and Guru at Avartan Gurukul, a unique Gurukul started in Pune in 2016. Sukhada Khire is young talented recognized musician as a Harmonium Player in India. With versatility she plays Harmonium accompanist role with various classical as well as semi classical vocalists.  Sukhada started learning Hindustani vocal & harmonium from her first guru Mrs. Anjali Pokshe who is a disciple of Late Shobha Abhyankar ji.  Later she became a disciple of world famous Harmonium Guru Pt. Pramod Marathe. From last more than 15 years she is taking guidance from Pt. Pramod Marathe in Pune- India. She has completed Master’s degree in music from S.N.D.T. University and it brings her with very good knowledge in Indian classical music accompaniment and teaching also.  Sukhada is Graded artist of All India Radio. Sukhada contributes in Hindustani music by teaching many students on various platforms. May 31st 2025 at 4.00 PM 4.00 PM 4020 Hedgcoxe Road, Suite 150, Plano, Texas 75024 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_mqiO1iyPQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6JZi-Cv-LM Tickets: ICMC Members: Free; General: $50; Students: $30

Sarod Recital – Meditative Strings Pandit Kushal Das, an internationally acclaimed ‘Sitar and Surbahar’ player, was born in a highly enriched musical family of Kolkata. His grandfather Late Shri Bimal Ch. Das was a renowned ‘Esraj’ player and his Father & Uncle are both sitarists of high repute. His father Shri Sailen Das is a disciple of Late Pt. Lakhsman Bhattacharya. Later he became a disciple of Late Bharat Ratna Pt. Ravi Shankar. His uncle Shri Santanu Das is a disciple of Late Ud. Ali Akbar Khan. Kushal started his training from the age of five under the guidance of his uncle and father. Later he received intensive training under the affectionate guidance of Pt. Sanjoy Banerjee. Kushal is also proud for having the privilege of learning from great musicians like Late Pt. Ajoy Sinha Roy (a disciple of Ud. Allauddin Khan), vocal lessons from Late Pt. Manas Chakraborty and Late Pt. Ramkrishna Basu. He received the prestigious and Highest National Award/Honor in Performing Arts in India The -“Sangeet Natak Academy” Puraskar from the Government of India. He is a “TOP-GRADE” musician of All India Radio and Television. Kushal Das has participated in most of the major concert festivals in India and abroad.  Sandip Ghosh is a known name in the music fraternity. Started at the age of Six under Pt.Gobindo Bose, Sandip has a long association of more than 25 years with legendary Tabla Wizard Pt. Anindo Chatterjee in Guru Shishya Parampara. A first-class in masters from RBU in Music, Sandip bagged two gold medals in his name, along with dozens of numerous prestigious accolades globally. An acclaimed accompanist, who has been accompanying extensively with Pt. Ajoy Chakraborty, Pt. Kushal Das, Vidushi Kaushiki Chakraborty, Ud Shahid Parvez, Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar, Ud Rashid Khan, Pt. Debojyoti Bose, to name a few. Saturday, August 23 4.00 PM 4020 Hedgcoxe Road, Suite 150, Plano, Texas 75024

Sarod Recital – Meditative Strings Ustad Abir Hossain was born in a musical family of Barddhaman, West Bengal, India. His family claims a lineage of three generations of musicians on the paternal side. Abir started his musical journey at the very tender age of five under the guidance of Golam Emam (father) and Mimakshi Emam (mother). At the age of twelve he came under the tutelage of sarod Legend Padma Bhushan Late Pandit Buddhadev Das Gupta of the Senia-Shajahanpur Gharana. Later he joined the prestigious ITC Sangeet Research Academy (SRA) in the year 2002 and not only did he continue to train with Pandit Buddhadev Dasgupta ji but also came under the guidance of Padma Sri Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty ji of Patiala Gharana.Abir is a regular artist of All India Radio & Doordarshan. He has so far enchanted audiences in India and abroad by performing in music festivals and conferences at several venues. He is the GURU at World’s one of the most renowned Classical Musical Organization “ITC Sangeet Research Academy” to flourish the culture of Hindustani Classical Music among the next generation. 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. In the last several years he has given many vocal & tabla solo 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 26 4.00 PM 4020 Hedgcoxe Road, Suite 150, Plano, Texas 75024 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_mqiO1iyPQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6JZi-Cv-LM Tickets: ICMC Members: Free; General: $50; Students: $30

Fall Fest 2024 ICMC presents Fall Fest 2024 presenting a medley of several short vocal and instrumental performances, by ICMC member musicians. 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 six 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, November 16, 2024 4:00:00 PM Kathak Rhythms Studio, 4020 Hedgcoxe Road, Suite 150, Plano, TX 75024

Violin & Bansuri Duet – Sublime Melodies Manas Kumar is one of the finest Hindustani classical violinists in the concert circuit today. Having inculcated musical instincts from the age of five, he received his initial violin education from his father, Shree G Chaumua. When he was 11 years of age he underwent intensive training for 18 years from Pt. Bidyut Misra of Guwahati, a lecturer in the virtue of violin at the State College of Music, Assam. Manas is a physics graduate and he holds a degree in music from the prestigious Bhatkhande University, Lucknow. He has been acclaimed as an top-grade performing artiste by the All India Radio & is a proud recipient of the very prestigious ‘ Ustad Bismillah khan Yuva Puraskar’ by Sangeet Natak Academy (New Delhi) in 2020 and ‘Surmani’(1st rank) presented by the Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai in the year 2008. He has also been conferred upon the 1st Prize at the Pt. V.D. Paluskar Music Competition in 2007 & has secured the prestigious senior scholarships presented by the Center for Cultural Resources and Training & the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Manas has enthralled audiences across India & globally at numerous prestigious music festivals and conferences like the Sankat Mochan fest(Varanasi) , Raag Kaal Festival, Haridas Sammelan, Uday Swar by Pancham Nishad, Ustad Alladiyakhan Mahotsav , Hridayesh Music festival, Arohi music Festival for young talent , Sharda music festival to name a few. He has rendered recitals for many popular Television programs, Radio broadcasts & popular Music Albums and Film scores. His music spans across genres of Hindustani Classical & Fusion. A co-founder of the classical fusion band ‘Samarpan’ he performs regularly with this band across the country as well as abroad, while his work as a composer has also been commended critically. At present, he is a faculty of music at Sharda Sangeet Vidyalaya, Mumbai. Manas has worked with the likes of Shankar Mahadevan, Ranjit Barot, Hariharan & Ravi Chary to name a few. Saturday, September 28, 2024 4:00:00 PM Kathak Rhythms Studio, 4020 Hedgcoxe Road, Suite 150, Plano, TX 75024 S. Akash, son of Sri. M. N. Satish Kumar and Smt. Vani Satish, started showing keen interest in music at the tender age of three and half years. He hails from a family of musicians and music lovers. At the age of four, he was put under the tutelage of Pandit Venkatesh Godhkindi, a renowned flutist. At that very young age, although unable to follow music notations in writing, he was able to grasp subtle intricacies of music. Akash is currently learning vocal to flute (gayaki ang) from Pt. Jayateerth Mevundi, and has been under the tutelage of the maestro for over 15 years. He has performed at various renowned stages around the globe, and he is a recipient of several prestigious awards as well. Young and talented Amit Kavthekar (“GANDA-BANDH SHAGIRD” of Late Ustad Allarakha) has rhythm running in his veins. At the early age of six, he was being groomed in the art of playing tabla by the legendary Ustad Allarakha. He has also been fortunate enough to be taught tabla intricacies by Ustad Zakir Hussain – a maestro in Indian classical music an international phenomenon in the fields of percussion and world music.Amit has played with many eminent Indian Classical Musicians such as Ustad Zakir Hussain and Sivamani on Zee TV in India, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan at Google Talks, Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan at Berklee College of Music, Ustad Ashish Khan at Learnquest Festival at Regis College MA, Pt. Buddhadev Dasgupta in Baithak, Boston MA, Pt. Kushal Das at MIT, Pt. Shivkumar Sharma in his Documentary directed by Jabbar Patel in India, Pt. Jasraj in his vocal recital in Pune India and many others. Recently, Amit played at the United Nations Day Concert 2018 with Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ayaan Ali Bangash and Amaan Ali Bangash as well as with the Refugee Orchestra project. Amit has frequent collaborations with western classical, jazz and fusion musicians – He is a member of the Purnalokha quartet along with David Balakrishnan of the grammy winning Turtle Island Quartet. He has also played with the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra and is also a founder member of the band Sawaari, which explores music from different parts of the world. Recently, Amit started working with renowned and one of the best Jazz guitar players Al Di Meola and now he is the integral part of Al Di Meola acoustic trio Project. Amit is currently teaching Tabla in the New England School of Music based in Massachusetts. He also teaches master classes and workshops in universities.

Sitar & Sarod Recitals – Meditative Strings Ustad Waseem Ahmed Khan’s lineage is enviable. An exponent of the Agra gharana, Khan is a direct descendent of the stalwarts who created this stylistically unique and rich repertoire. The Agra style is heavily influenced by the dhrupad gayaki; During the 19th century, it embraced influences of the ‘khayal,’, a lighter form of Persian music and underwent some changes. This amalgamation of dhrupad and khayal coupled with distinctive vocal styles lent by Khan’s forefathers have given an uncommon set of features to the Agra gharana. Khan is the sole living direct descendent of this major style that has existed in India since the 13th century. Waseem Ahmed Khan was born in 1974 to Ustad Naseem Ahmed Khan. Naseem was the son of Basheer Khan, another exponent of the Agra gharana who has made significant contributions to this style. From the age of six, his immersive training or taalim began with his maternal grandfather, Late Ata Hussain Khan (1899-1980), who used the pen name, “Ratan Piya” and is well-known for some of the most beautiful compositions of the Agra repertoire. Thus, Waseem was blessed from both his maternal and paternal sides with one of the richest repertoires of north Indian classical music. Khan has carved a niche for himself as an exponent of the Agra gharana. His open-throated delivery of nom-tom alap is detailed. Khan is known for picking up special words or sentences in a bandish (fixed composition) and improvising in the true Agra style with bol-bant, a method of expanding lyrics based on rhythm. Apart from khayal renditions, Khan’s thumri performances have also received accolades from connoisseurs and lay audiences He is currently based in Kolkata, where he teaches his own students in the guru shishya parampara. Simultaneously, he trains students at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy in the capacity of a ‘Musician Scholar’ and lends his expertise to various other scholarly projects of this institution. Saturday, September 14, 2024 4:00:00 PM Kathak Rhythms Studio, 4020 Hedgcoxe Road, Suite 150, Plano, TX 75024 aving imbibed primary lessons in music since childhood, Siddhesh Bicholkar has been privileged to receive guidance from his First Guru, Shri Sharad Mathkar in Goa and later, placed under the tutelage of Pt. Tulsidas Borkar, renowned Harmonium exponent and Guru. The difficult and lesser known art of Jaltarang was taken up by Siddhesh with inspiration from Shri Sharad Mathkar, who personally crafted his first set of Jaltarang apparatus. Siddhesh gained valuable knowlegde about Instrumental recitals and depths of Classical Music from Pt. Tulsidas Borkar, enabling Siddhesh to present Jaltarang Recitals, a very rare occurence in Indian Classical Music. He has been the recipient of many eminent music scholarships including accolades by the Govt.of India and its H.R.D. Ministry and many other awards to add to his long list of achievements. He is presently employed as a classical music teacher at Sharda Sangeet Vidyalaya, Mumbai. 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.

Vocal Duet Recital – Khayal, Tappa, Thumri & Bhajans Ustad Waseem Ahmed Khan’s lineage is enviable. An exponent of the Agra gharana, Khan is a direct descendent of the stalwarts who created this stylistically unique and rich repertoire. The Agra style is heavily influenced by the dhrupad gayaki; During the 19th century, it embraced influences of the ‘khayal,’, a lighter form of Persian music and underwent some changes. This amalgamation of dhrupad and khayal coupled with distinctive vocal styles lent by Khan’s forefathers have given an uncommon set of features to the Agra gharana. Khan is the sole living direct descendent of this major style that has existed in India since the 13th century. Waseem Ahmed Khan was born in 1974 to Ustad Naseem Ahmed Khan. Naseem was the son of Basheer Khan, another exponent of the Agra gharana who has made significant contributions to this style. From the age of six, his immersive training or taalim began with his maternal grandfather, Late Ata Hussain Khan (1899-1980), who used the pen name, “Ratan Piya” and is well-known for some of the most beautiful compositions of the Agra repertoire. Thus, Waseem was blessed from both his maternal and paternal sides with one of the richest repertoires of north Indian classical music. Khan has carved a niche for himself as an exponent of the Agra gharana. His open-throated delivery of nom-tom alap is detailed. Khan is known for picking up special words or sentences in a bandish (fixed composition) and improvising in the true Agra style with bol-bant, a method of expanding lyrics based on rhythm. Apart from khayal renditions, Khan’s thumri performances have also received accolades from connoisseurs and lay audiences He is currently based in Kolkata, where he teaches his own students in the guru shishya parampara. Simultaneously, he trains students at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy in the capacity of a ‘Musician Scholar’ and lends his expertise to various other scholarly projects of this institution. Saturday, June 15, 2024 4:00:00 PM Kathak Rhythms Studio, 4020 Hedgcoxe Road, Suite 150, Plano, TX 75024 Having imbibed primary lessons in music since childhood, Siddhesh Bicholkar has been privileged to receive guidance from his First Guru, Shri Sharad Mathkar in Goa and later, placed under the tutelage of Pt. Tulsidas Borkar, renowned Harmonium exponent and Guru. The difficult and lesser known art of Jaltarang was taken up by Siddhesh with inspiration from Shri Sharad Mathkar, who personally crafted his first set of Jaltarang apparatus. Siddhesh gained valuable knowlegde about Instrumental recitals and depths of Classical Music from Pt. Tulsidas Borkar, enabling Siddhesh to present Jaltarang Recitals, a very rare occurence in Indian Classical Music. He has been the recipient of many eminent music scholarships including accolades by the Govt.of India and its H.R.D. Ministry and many other awards to add to his long list of achievements. He is presently employed as a classical music teacher at Sharda Sangeet Vidyalaya, Mumbai. 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.

Vocal Recital – Khayal Sangeet Sabina Mumtaz Islam is a child prodigy born in a cultured family in Guwahati, Sabina’s remarkable musical journey was set off by her father Late Janab Nurul Islam.While obtaining bachelor’s degree in English Literature as honors from Cotton College and Diploma in Tourism & Management and Computer Science from IGNOU, she simultaneously enriched herself musically. In the year 1988, she became ‘Sangeet Visharad’ from Bhatkhande Sangeet Vidyapeeth. Sabina’s classical sojourn further flourished when she joined ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata in 1997, the hub of classical music, trained by Janab Jainul Abedin and then under Late Pandit Sunil Bose – an exponent of Agra Gharana. She later came under the tutelage of Vidushi Subhra Guha, one of the doyens of the same Gharana, acquiring the prestigious scholarship in 1999. As a scholar of ITC Sangeet Research Academy, she has undergone rigorous training from her guru in the famous guru-shishya tradition and for the last 25 years still continues to do so. She is permitted to give guidance in the absence of her Guru in the Academy. At the same time she also adheres to the astute guidelines from her Guru Padmashree Pandit Vijay Kumar Kichlu, one of the great musicologists/exponents of Agra Gharana. She has now blossomed into a full-fledged performer and performs nationally as well as across the globe. Sabina is an “A” grade artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan in both Khyal and light Classical (Thumri/Dadra/Kajri/Chaiti/Tappa etc.). She also delivers performances in various television channels regularly. She has played back Chaiti in the Bengali debut film Har Har Byomkesh. Sabina is an empaneled artist of ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Govt. of India in both Khyal and Light Classical Music. Saturday, May 18, 2024 4:00:00 PM Allen Library Civic Auditorium, 300 N. Allen Drive, Allen TX 75013 Sanjukta Biswas was born in a music loving family of Nadia District West Bengal. Sensing a rare talent in his daughter, her father Shri Bharat Chandra Biswas helped and encouraged her in developing this art from an early age. Her earliest lessons in music were from Shri Amalendu Pal and Shri Kalyan Guha Thakurta. As a child prodigy she won the first prize in All Bengal Music Competition at the tender age of ten. She is a first class Graduate with Honors in Music from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata. After Graduation her exceptional talent enabled her to enter the dream music world ITC Sangeet Research Academy in 1994 first as a general class student and later in 1999 as a scholarship holder under her Guruma Vidushi Subhra Guha of Agra Gharana. Having remained as a scholar at ITC Sangeet Research Academy for five years, Sanjukta at present lives with her Guruma Vidushi Subhra Guha and learns in a true Guru Shishya Parampara. In 2001 she obtained the prestigious first prize in All India Radio Competition in the category of Hindustani Classical Vocal Music. Following this she also receive the coveted ITC SRA Award of a “Promising Artist” at the Music Forum, Mumbai. In 2002 she was awarded the National Scholarship for Young Artistes by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. In 2005 Sanjukta became the recipient of the prestigious Janana Pravha Scholarship for being a promising and budding young musician of West Bengal State. In 2007 Sanjukta won the prestigious “Swar Vilas” Vadodra, All India Competition. Her gayaki provides an impeccable blend of learning with perfect ‘Raagdari’ on the one side and aesthetics with perfect tuneful voice and aakar on the other. Sanjukta also excels as a Thumri, Dadra, Kajri singer in the perfect “Poorab Ang” of Banaras. Anirban Chakrabarty hails from a family of musicians. He started his training under his father Amal Chakrabarty. He has a postgraduate degree in music with first class from Rabindra Bharati University. He is a good vocalist and his keen interest in playing harmonium has driven him to master the gayaki of the Kotali gharana under the tutelage of Pandit Manas Chakraborty, the doyen of Gharana. He has accompanied various artists including Pt. Venkatesh Kumar, Pt. Jayteerth Mevundi, Ashwini Bhide, Aarati Ankalikar, Pt Ganapati Bhatt, etc. Anirban also composes and arranges music in lighter forms. Pandit Gourisankar Karmakar a leading tabla maestro of the present generation, studied tabla under the able guidance of his father, Pandit Shib Sankar Karmakar. Since 1979, he has been under the tutelage of the tabla Maestro Pandit Sankha Chatteriee. 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 with most of India’s eminent artist like Pandit Hariprasad Chourasia, Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Birju Maharaj, Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan etc. In world Music, performed with World famous Drummer Steve Smith, Grammy winner Mamadou Diabate (Kora Player), World famous Steel Pan player Liam Teague and many others. In 2008, Gourisankar established the “School of Indian Percussion & Music” in Austin, Texas. Many of his students have benefited from his teaching expertise, and perform regularly.