Arun Bhaduri

An artist of great depth and vision, Arun Bhaduri is gifted with a sonorous voice, a brilliant range and a rare fluency. Initially tutored by Md. A.Daud, he received further taalim from Md. Sagiruddin Khan. His talent won him a place at the ITC–SRA as a scholar, where he received training from Ustad Ishtiaq Hussain Khan of the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana. He got further encouragement from Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh who taught him both classical and light classical music and also made him aware of the nuances of lyrics. In his pursuit of musical excellence, he has also been greatly influenced by Ustad Amir Khan and has imbibed the great Ustad’s aesthetic qualities. A top-grade radio and television artiste, Arun Bhaduri renders Bengali songs and bhajans with equal ease and has featured at several national concerts and sammelans. He has performed in many foreign countries and has to his credit a number of cassettes and CDs. Arun Bhaduri has also proved his brilliance as an outstanding composer.

Bombay Jayashri

Born into a family of musicians with rich lineage and steeped in pedigree music, Bombay Jayashri Ramnath represents the fourth generation of music practitioners in her family. Jayashri has been groomed under the guidance of the legend Shri Lalgudi G Jayaraman and Smt T R Balamani. Jayashri, today not only bears the torch of the Lalgudi tradition, but has also evolved a distinct style of her own.

With a career extending over two decades, Jayashri is today among the most sought after Carnatic musicians. Her work has won her the acclaim of prestigious institutions in the form of prestigious awards such as the Sangeetha Choodamani and Nadabhooshanam.

Jayashri’s repertoire of meditative music and rare poetry are best experienced through her compositions in her albums. She has also composed music for dance ballets and documentaries. Jayashri has deployed the essence of the classical idiom most effectively in her search for avenues beyond the concert format. More recently she has harnessed her skills towards composing music.

Jayashri has performed extensively in India and abroad in the most prestigious fora, drawing critical acclaim wherever she performed. Jayashri has the rare privilege of being the first Carnatic classical performer in the Opera House in Durban and the Russian Opera House in Helsinki, Finland.

Her training in Hindustani Classical system has further helped her in this musical odyssey. Her researches into music are unending, and besides her musical performances, she continues to deliver workshops all over the world on the subject of World Music. Her contribution and involvement with schools where she has conducted workshops and interactive sessions to kindle interest amongst school children into our rich tradition of music is her way of giving back something of what she has gained. Her very limited foray into film music has won her the Filmfare award for the popular 'Vaseegara' that has drawn a new class of listeners into the world of classical music.

A skillful blend of uncompromising adherence to the core tradition of classical carnatic music as well as a ceaseless quest for quality music in any form is what personifies Jayashri best.

Hariprasad Chaurasia

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, the internationally renowned exponent of the bansuri surprisingly does not come from a long lineage of flautists. His father was a famous wrestler who had aspirations of his son following in his footsteps. It was the younger Chaurasia’s love of music that led him to study classical vocal with Pandit Raja Ram of Banaras when he was 15.

Soon after, he heard a flute recital by Pandit Bholanath and was so impressed he changed his focus to studying the flute. When he was just 19, he got a job playing for All India Radio, Cuttack, Orissa, and within five years he was transferred to their headquarters in Bombay. Here he got the opportunity to perform publicly and also study under Shrimati Annapurna Devi, daughter of Ustad Allauddin Khan. Developing a style that was respectful of tradition, yet full of innovation, his Bombay sojourn set him well on the path to creative glory.

Over a lifetime of performances, Hariprasad Chaurasia has become one of India's most-respected classical musicians, earning innumerable awards, including the Padma Bhushan, the Padma Vibhushan and the Sangeet Natak Academy Award, which he won in 1984. He has collaborated with several western musicians, including John McLaughlin and Jan Gabarek, and has also composed music for a number of Indian films. He has performed throughout the world winning acclaim from varied audiences and fellow musicians including Yehudi Menuhin and Jean Pierre Rampal. Pandit. Chaurasia has been teaching Indian music at the Rotterdam Music Conservatory for the past 15 years and has been honoured by the Dutch Royal family with THE ORDER OF ORANGE-NASSAU. He has also been conferred the honour of KNIGHT IN THE ORDER OF ARTS AND LETTERs by the French government in appreciation for the significant contribution he has made to spread culture in France and the rest of the World.

One of the most sought-after contemporary musicians in the world today, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia is also a dedicated teacher with several devoted art music students world-wide, many of whom are beginning to make their mark on the concert stage.

Shahid Parvez

Known for his dazzling virtuosity and innovative genius, Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan enjoys an impeccable pedigree, being a seventh generation exponent of the Etawah or Imdadkhani Gharana of sitar. Shahid Parvez was three years old when he was initiated into the rich music of the Gharana by his illustrious father and Guru Ustad Aziz Khan, a famous musician and a noted composer and the son of the legendary Sitar and Surbahar virtuoso Ustad Waheed Khan. Ustad Aziz Khan first initiated his son into vocal music and tabla, before training him on the Sitar over many years with all the intensity and rigor that had made this Gharana famous. Recognized as a child prodigy, Shahid ji gave his first public performance when he was only eight years.

Shahid Parvez's dogged perseverance and hard work over the years have been rewarded with an extra-ordinary technical prowess and a mastery over 'Layakari'. His mastery over and fusing of both the gayaki ang and the tantrakari baaj has created a unique style with universal appeal.

He is a Top Grade artist of A.I.R. and a recipient of numerous national and international awards including the 'Sur Shringaar', the 'Kumar Gandharva Samman', the "M.L. Koser Award', etc. He is also a recipient of the prestigious "Sangeet Natak Academy Award" of 2006. Having performed in all major musical festivals in India and abroad, he maintains a rigorous worldwide tour schedule and leaves audiences in awe everywhere. With numerous LP records, audio and video cassettes, CDs and DVDs and a distinguished performance career in India and around the world, Shahid Parvez is of the finest sitar players alive today.

Samarth Nagarkar - Past Scholar - Vocal

Samarth Nagarkar was initiated into Raga Sangeet in Bangalore by Smt. Aditi Kaikini Upadhya. At sixteen, he shifted to Mumbai to receive further training from Pandit Dinkar Kaikini. He lived in due accordance with the Guru - Shishya tradition and received taleem in the Agra / Gwalior Gayakees. During this period he also received guidance from stalwarts such as Pandit Balasaheb Poonchwale, Pandit S. C. R. Bhat, and Smt Shashikala Kaikini. Samarth joined ITC SRA as a scholar in 2003, under Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar.

Samarth has won several awards and accolades, including the first prize in the All India Radio Music Competition (2000), thereby becoming a graded artiste of the AIR. He has had numerous performances to his credit – at NCPA, Dadar Matunga Cultural Centre and Saraswati Sangeet Sammelan in Mumbai, at the ITC Sangeet Sammelan, Kanpur, the Sangeet Natak Akademy, Jorhat and Devnandan Ubhayaker Yuva Sangeetotsav, Bangalore. He is also the recipient of several scholarships from prestigious music organization like Sajan Milap, Mumbai and Sursagar’s Pandit K. G. Ginde Memorial Scholarship, Bangalore. He has recently been awarded a Junior Fellowship by the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India.

Samarth has just completed his stint at ITC SRA as a scholar and has moved to Lucknow, where he has been inducted as faculty at the K. K. Kapoor Sangeet Research Academy from July 2009.

Ulhas Kashalkar

In an age when maestros of the older generation express fear of the decline of our grand tradition, Ulhas Kashalkar’s music is a reminder of the strength of this great art. His father, N.D.Kashalkar, initiated him into vocal music. In time, he was accepted as a disciple by such great masters as Ram Marathe and Gajanan Bua Joshi. Thus, he received training of the highest order in three distinct prominent gharanas- Gwallior, Agra and Jaipur. With a mellifluous voice and the gifted ability to blend the three gayakis with authenticity and aesthetic excellence, he soon emerged as one of the most formidable vocalists of the country and a much sought after performer both in India and abroad. For over a decade now, he has been with the ITC Sangeet Research Academy as a Guru, producing numerous students of high calibre. The numerous honours and accolades that have come his way include the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar for 2008 and more recently, Ulhas ji has been selected for the 2010 Padma Shri Awards (for Arts) by the Government of India, in recognition of his exceptional and distinguished contribution to the field of Hindustani Classical Music.

Anirudh Athreya

Anirudh is the grandson of the violinist Sri V. Thiagarajan, and grand nephew of Kanjira Maestro V. Nagarajan. He is the disciple of Sri T K Murthy.
 

Embar S Kannan

Born on 19th Feb 1975, Kannan hails from a family of musicians. Although he holds a post graduate degree in commerce, from the Madras University , music has been his raison’d’etre He had his initial training in Carnatic music under Sri Subbanna Bhagavatar and Vittal Ramamurthy and in western classical music under music director, Diwakar master. He has since continued his formal training in the violin under Kumari Kanyakumari. He is a composer and is actively involved in the production of film music.

Gurumurthy Vaidya

Born in Ankola district, Karnataka, Gurumurthy Vaidya hails from a music loving family. He initially learnt his art from Shri G G Hegde and Pt. Basavaraj Bendigere and is presently under the tutelage of Pt. Ravindra Yavagal of Bangalore. With a B. Music and an M.A degree tucked under his belt, Vaidya is a B-High graded artist of A.I.R, Bangalore. He has performed in many programmes for AIR and Doordarshan and has accompanied well-known artists such as N. Rajam, Brijbhushan Kabra, L.K. Pandit, Rajendra Prasanna, Vinayak Torvi, Venkatesh Kumar, Ashwinibide Deshpande, and Kaushiki Desikan, performing in many prestigious platforms across the country. He has also performed in the USA and Muscat and has recorded for many commercial CDs. Vaidya has received an award from the Karnataka Sangeeth Nrithya Kala Academy and the Human Resource Development Scholarship from the Govt. of India.

J Vaidyanathan
 
He hails from a legendary family, being the son of Sri D K Jayaraman, and the nephew of D K Pattamal. He is the disciple of Sri T K Murthy.

Ravindra Yavagal

Born on 27 th November 1959, Pandit Ravindra Yavagal was initiated into music by his father, Late Sri.Ramachandra Yavagal at the age of four. He then continued his training on the tabla with Sri.Veeranna Kamkar of Hubli. He later came under the tutelage of Pandit.Sheshagiri Hanagal, a well known tabla artiste from the Dharwad area, with whom he has been continuing his musical association for almost thirty years now. He has also received guidance from Pandit.Lalji Gokhale , a disciple of the legendary tabla maestro, Ustad Ahmed Jan Thirakhwa.

Considered to be a child prodigy, Ravindra Yavagal gave his first solo performance at the age of ten at the prestigious Sawai Gandharva Music Festival at Kundagol.

A top ranking artiste of All India Radio and a post graduate in music from Indira Kala Vishvavidyalaya, Khairagarh, he is one of the most sought after tabla players of the country today. He has enthralled audiences through his skillful fingering techniques and creative style - a result of rigorous training and sincere riyaz. He has been recognized both as a soloist and as a sensitive accompanist.

He has given solo performances in many prestigious occasions at Mumbai, Hyderabad , Aurangabad , Parbani etc and throughout Karnataka. He has accompanied top ranking vocalists and instrumentalists in the world of Indian Classical Music such as Pt. Mallikarjun Mansur, Dr.Gangubai Hanagal, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Pt. Jasraj, Pt. C.R.Vyas, Pt. Firoz Dastur, Pt. Dinkar Kaikini, Pt. K.G.Ginde, Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia and many others. He has also shared the concert platform with great maestros of south Indian music like Dr. Balamuralikrishna, Prof. T.N.Krishnan to name a few.

He has been on several concert tours abroad and has successfully performed in countries like the United States of America, France, Egypt, Hong Kong etc. and has been regularly performing on Radio and Television and and other media based programmes. He has also given lecture demonstrations on the subject of percussion.

In recognition of his talent, valuable contribution and service to the field of music, he has received numerous honors and felicitations from several organizations. Notable among them are the prestigious “RAJYOTSAVA AWARD” conferred by Karnataka State Government in 1995; “NADA NIDHI” from “Kalachetana”, a Cultural academy of Gadag, in 2005 and the “CHANDRAHAASA” prashasti from Sangeeta Seva Samiti, Sorab in 2005. Karnataka Government nominated him as a honorary member for, “ Karnataka Sangeeta Nritya Academy ” for the period 2002 to 2004,

He is also an able teacher and has been training youngsters in order to share his knowledge with the younger generation; some of them are graded artistes of Akashawani. Presently Ravindra ji is on the staff of All India Radio-Bangalore, as a Selection Grade 1 artiste and has been rendering valuable service to the institution for almost twenty five years.

Rupashree Bhattacharya

Born into a family of musicians, Rupashree Bhattacharya was tutored in vocal music by her father, Durga Charan Bhattacharya and later by Shipra Bose. In 1996, she became a scholar at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy under the tutelage of Ajoy Chakrabarty. Noticing her innate talent in playing the harmonium, her mentor gradually guided her through the intricacies and exacting standards of accompaniment. Rupashree, a proficient vocalist herself, quickly imbibed his teaching and has matured into a sensitive and unobtrusive accompanist. Presently, she is a faculty member of ITC Sangeet Research Academy.

Samar Saha

For years now, Samar Saha has been widely known for his dexterous tabla and rare musicianship. With his matured sense of accompaniment he contributes immensely to any raga sangeet performance and is a boon to every vocalist or instrumentalist. Born in Kolkata, he was initially trained by his father, Sudhangshu Bhusan Saha and his elder brother, Tarak Saha. Later, he received extensive talim from Satchidananda Goswami and from Krishna Kumar Ganguly (Natu Babu) of the Benaras gharana. A much sought-after artiste today, he has played with some of the greatest stalwarts of Hindustani music and has participated in all the prestigious music festivals in India and overseas. He has been a full time faculty member of ITC Sangeet Research Academy almost since its inception

Sarwar Hussain

Sarwar Hussain is one of the most accomplished and promising musicians of the younger generation of Sarangi exponents in India. He was born on 5th October 1981, at Gohad district near Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh his musical heritage comes from a long line of distinguished Sarangi exponents from Gohad.

His ancestry can be traced back six generations to Ustad Fazal Khan, father of Ustad Ghansi Khan, famous for his mastery of the intricate Tappa Style. Ustad Ghansi Khan taught his sons who included Ustad Chhuttu Khan, Ustad Garru Khan and Ustad Uday Khan, who were the father and paternal uncles and gurus of Padmashree Ustad Abdul Latif Khan, Sarwar’s eminent grandfather and guru.

Sarwar’s father, Anwar Hussain is also a well-known musician. Sarwar began learning Sarangi from his grandfather when he was nine. The superb ‘taleem’ that he received for eleven years is clearly reflected in his playing style. His playing embodies the intricate delicacy of his grandfather’s style as well as the techniques which his grandfather learned from one of the most famous Sarangi exponents of the first half of the last century, Ustad Bade Ghulam Sabir Khan Ambala Wale.

An A grade artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan, Sarwar has received many awards for his outstanding performance.

Suresh Talwalkar

Taalyogi Pandit Suresh Talwalkar , is one of the greatest Tabla exponents of the present times. As an accomplished artist and as a Guru, he has contributed immensely to the glorious tradition of Indian Classical Music. Pandit Sureshji belongs to the illustrious “Keertankar” family of Shri Dholebuva. “Keertana” being a classical form of devotional and musical discourse, a liking for the classical genre was inculcated in him right from his childhood. Further, at a very young age, his father Shri Dattatray Talwalkar initiated him into the art of Tabla. He then took lessons from veteran gurus, Pt. Pandharinath Nageshkar and Pt. Vinayakrao Ghangrekar. He also learnt the intricacies of Carnatic Layashastra from renowned Mridangam player Pt. Ramnad Ishwaran. This diverse training enabled Sureshji to imbibe the subtleties of both North and South Indian music, rendering him as a solo performer with a uniqueness of expression.

Sureshji has accompanied a number of great artists in their concerts – in particular, Pt. Gajananbuva Joshi and Pt. Nivruttibuva Sarnaik. He gratefully regards them as gurus and attributes to them the deep insight that he has for classical music.

Sureshji’s genius is highlighted by the exquisite renderings of “Taal Mala” and “Jod Taal”, a contribution applauded by connoisseurs and the masses alike.His unending quest for creativity and innovation, makes him a distinguished composer. His compositions have influenced not only musicians from India but also from the West and today, many jazz composers seek his guidance in their musical journey. As a guru, his teaching abilities and expertise is unmatched. His disciples include the likes of Vijay Ghate, Ramdas Palsule, Charudatta Phadke and his son Satyajit. His rigorous training for “Laya Taal” and its aesthetis to the famous Kathak exponent Shama Bhate, is reflected even in her students. Sureshji`s knowledge and command in rhythm has enabled him to guide well known percussionists like Trilok Gurtu, Mukul Dongare, Taalis and others.

Sureshji, with his wide experience both as a performing artist and as a guru, with his thorough knowledge of music and musicology, and, with his abilities of communicating even the complex concepts of music, is always a prominent speaker in workshops and seminars. Whether on the subject of tabla or on musicology, renowned institutions and universities from world over take pride in inviting him as a speaker. Sureshji’s numerous awards and honors include, Pt. Vishnu Digambar Paluskar Award, Vasantrao Naik Puraskar, and the Sangeet Natak Academy Award.