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).
Rishikesh Prasad began his Tabla journey at the age of five under the guidance of Pandit Gourisankar, a leading Tabla maestro of the Farukhabad and Punjab gharanas. His taleem draws from these traditions, and his musical lineage traces back through his guru to the legendary Tabla maestros Ustad Masit Khan, Ustad Keramatullah Khan, and Ustad Alla Rakha Khan. Over the years, Rishikesh has performed extensively across Texas and India, both as a soloist and accompanist. He has shared the stage with several acclaimed senior artists as well as prominent young musicians, including Pandit Barun Kumar Pal (Hamsa Veena), Pandit Indrajit Banerjee (Sitar), Shri Indradeep Ghosh (violin), and Shri Brajeswar Mukherjee (Vocal), and has also presented Tabla jugalbandhis alongside his guru. In 2018, he performed a tabla solo at “Ta Se Dhin Tak”, a festival featuring leading Tabla players of the young generation. In 2023, Rishikesh marked an important milestone in his musical journey with his Ganda Bandhan ceremony, formally becoming a disciple of his guru. He is continuing to perform and study the nuances of Tabla under his guru’s guidance, while also teaching several Tabla students who will shape the future of Indian classical music.