Sitar Recital – Sublime Melodies
Sahana Banerjee is one of the leading sitar players of India belonging to the Rampur Senia Gharana. Sahana was born in a family of rich musical heritage and was readily recognized as a child prodigy at an early age of four. Her father Prof. Santosh Banerjee was a celebrated Sitar & Surbahar exponent and also headed the Department of Instrumental Music at the Rabindra Bharati University, Calcutta. Prof. Banerjee was a disciple of legendary Beenkar, Ustad Md. Dabir Khan, a direct descendant of Mian Tansen himself. Sahana also received extensive training in vocal music from her illustrious mother, Mrs. Chhabi Banerjee, daughter of Sangeetacharya Kashinath Chattopadhyay of the Rampur Sahaswan Gharana. Sahana’s unique presentation reflects the traditional Beenkar Dhrupad Style of Rampur Senia Gharana maintaining the purity of Raga along with her own aesthetic blending of Khayal Gayaki. She is a recipient of the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, (National Award) awarded by Sangeet Natak Academy, New Delhi (2013-14). She is a Grade ‘A’ artist of All India Radio and National Television and has been giving broadcast recitals since 1995. Sahana is an empaneled artist of ‘SPICMACAY’, an organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of India music. Some of the noteworthy concerts in India include Saptak Festival in Ahmedabad, Tansen Samaroh in Gwalior, Sankat Mochan Samaroh in Varanasi, Komal Nishad Festival in Vadodara, Sawai Gandharv Mahotsav in Pune, Surashree Kesarbai Kelkar Festival and Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki Festival in Goa, Kalaa Coast Festival in Kochi to name a few. In 1990, she won the Pandit Nikhil Banerjee Challenge Trophy at the Dover Lane Music Conference and was conferred the Best Instrumentalist award. Apart from India, Sahana has extensively performed for prestigious festivals and Concerts in Europe, UK, USA, Australia, Middle East, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh & Morocco, that include performances at the Darbar Festival (London), Theatre De la Ville (Paris), Mawazine festival (Morocco), LearnQuest Festival (Boston), Bozar Fest (Belgium), Elbe Philharmonie (Hamburg), Welthaus (Germany). Sahana has also performed in many music festivals in collaboration with famous musicians of Europe, some of which were broadcasted by National Radios of France, Venice, Swiss Romande & Radio Klara (Belgium).
Amit Kavthekar is a “ganda-bandh shagird”; (anointed student) table legend Ustad Alla Rakha. He has been fortunate to also be taught the intricacies of tabla by Ustad Zakir Hussain, the global phenomenon tabla maestro celebrated as the greatest percussionist in world music. Amit has played with legendary maestros of Indian Classical music including Ustad Zakir Hussain, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Pandit Jasraj, Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan, Pandit Buddhadev Dasgupta, Pt Kushal Das, Pt Tejendra Narayan Majumdar and Pt Ronu Majumdar. He also performs with the leading young maestros of Indian Classical music like Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash, Niladri Kumar, Purbayan Chatterjee, Rakesh Chaurasia, Ravi Chary, Rupak Kulkarni, Pravin Ghodkhindi, S. Akash, and Manas Kumar. Amit also frequently collaborates with leading virtuosos of western classical, jazz, and fusion music. He has toured the Americas, Europe, and Asia with legendary guitarist Al Di Meola. He is an ensemble member of the Purnaloka Quartet with David Balakrishnan of the Grammy Award – winning group Turtle Island Quartet. Amit is a founding member of the fusion band Sawaari. He is also a prolific music educator and leads the New England School of Music in Boston where has taught tabla to more than 400 students over the past decade. He also teaches masterclasses and workshops at
primary schools, universities, and private sessions around the world.