Hindustani Violin Recital – Singing Strings
Pandit Milind Raikar is a renowned Violinist in today’s generation. He is mainly Disciple of Padmashri Pandit D.K.Datar and Gaansaraswati Kishori Amonkar. Today, Milind has devised his unique style of playing violin. He has evolved a way peculiar to him of wielding the bow. The listeners rejoice his soothing, scintillating, brilliant and soul touching performance having a very different style. Initially he studied Hindustani Classical Music under the able guidance of his father Late Shri Atchut Raikar. Thereafter, Milind learnt from Pt. B.S.Math (Dharwad) and Pt.Vasantrao Kadnekar ( Goa). He has also learnt Violin in the Western style and has passed Grade Four of the renowned Trinity College of London, under the tutelage of Prof A. P. De Costa. He feels lucky that since 1997 He started learning from Gaansaraswati Kishori Amonkar who taught him all the nuances of the Raag performance, approach of raag, its delicacy, better way of developing the notes, and many more. He has been accompanying Kishoritai on Violin in her concerts and recordings, in India as well as Abroad. He has provided Music Direction to a documentary film, “In Search Of Truth”, in which he also has played the role as a singer. He has received numerous prestigious awards in India and abroad. He has performed extensively not only at major festivals in India, but also at various fine venues in Germany, Italy, USA, Switzerland, etc.
Master Yadnesh Raikar started learning violin at the age of 1 year and started performing at the age of 4 years under the guidance of his Father Pt. Milind Raikar. He is studying in 10th grade in high school (SSC) at Bombay Cambridge School (Andheri, Mumbai).He is lucky to have guidance from Ganasaraswati KishoriTai Amonkar. He has given his first solo recital at the age of 4 At Karnataka sangh in front of a crowd of 600 people. He has also given his performances in Delhi, Nagpur, Dharwad, Goa as well. He is such a versatile musician that apart from violin he also avidly plays the keyboard, guitar and tabla very often. Has a very gifted voice and learns vocal from Shri Anand Pednekar and Pandit Vasantrao Kadneskar, Goa. He has sung in a album song along with Hariharan and Asha Bhosle. At present he is learning to play accordion from Amar Swamy. Has played a role of Young Pt.D.V.Paluskar in the documentary ‘Gaanyogi – Suvarna Yug’ where he sang and played Violin in the film too. He has performed his recitals in front of Honorable President Shri. Pranab Mukherjee, Chief minister Maharashtra Shri. Devendra Fadnavis, Governor of Maharashtra, chief of Army, Navy and Air force Chief.
Pandit Shantilal Shah was born and raised in the culturally and artistically vibrant city of Banaras, India. His basic taalim was under Pandit Mahadev Prasad Mishra of Banaras Gharana. He is a worthy disciple of Taal-Yogi Pandit Suresh Talwalkar. Shantilal remained a gold medalist from the Sangeet Natak Academy of Lucknow and also won the National Talent Scholarship awarded by the Govt. of India as well as the Sangeet Prabhakar award from the Prayaag Sangeet Samiti of Allahabad. Over the years he has performed with Pt. Jasraj, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki, Pt. Rajan-Sajan Mishra, Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar, Laxmi Shankar, Ud. Sujaat Khan, Bhajan Sopuri, Veena Sahasrabuddhe, Padma Talwalkar, Arati Ankalikar, Sanjeev Abhyankar, Shama Bhate, etc. Additionally, Shantilal Shah has been effective at branching out from his roots in Indian Classical Music and brought his unique sound and style to the world of Western Music. One of his initial forays into Western music was as a featured performer in the 2004 Hollywood Film Dancing in Twilight, which received a Gold Medal of Excellence for a feature film score from the Park City Music Festival. He has concluded in March 2014 a series of performances with the Houston Grand Opera, in their unique presentation, River of Light, receiving high acclaim. This extremely successful and one of a kind program exposed Tabla to sold out audiences in a new artistic medium, blending Indian Classical Music with the classical style of Western Opera.