A group of young, talented and enthusiastic musicians took over the prestigious platform of GD Birla Sabhagar at the Young Maestros, 2025. The two-day event organised by the ITC Sangeet Research Academy on 1st and 2nd March left the audience awestruck. The Young Maestros was designed with an aim to promote young musical talents and the tradition continues.
This year, the programme began with a performance by Kasturi Joshi, a Scholar of the Academy under Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar. Kasturi began with a vilambit khayal in Raga Shree, which was followed by a drut composition set to Ektaal. She concluded with a bandish in Raga Bahar. Kasturi was accompanied by Shri Bivash Sanghai on the Tabla and Shri Gourab Chatterjee on the Harmonium.
The next performer was Shri Paramananda Roy, a Musician Tutor under Pandit Partha Chatterjee and Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty. Paramananda welcomed the spring with a vilambit composition in Raga Basant which was followed by a drut composition set to Teentaal. He concluded with a composition by Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty based on Raga Madhyam se Piloo and Majh Khamaj . Paramananda was accompanied by Shri Ashis Paul on the Tabla.
The first day’s programme came to an end with a performance by Shri Deborshee Bhattacharjee, a Musician Tutor under Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty. Deborshree began with a vilambit khayal in Raga Darbari Kanada. This was followed by a drut composition set to Teentaal and a tarana set to Ektaal. Deborshee was accompanied by Shri Chiranjit Mukherjee on the Tabla and Jyotirmoy Banerjee on the Harmonium.
The second day’s programme began with a number of traditional compositions in Raga Barwa performed by Shadaj Iyer, a Scholar under Vidushi Subhra Guha. Shadaj began with a vilambit composition of the Raga set to Ektaal and concluded with a drut composition set to Teentaal. He wrapped up with a bandish in Raga Paraj-Kalingda. Shadaj was accompanied by Shri Bivash Sanghai on the Tabla and Janab Sarwar Hussain on the Sarangi.
The next performer was Shounak Roy, a Scholar under Shri Abir Hossain. Shounak began with a vilambit composition of Raga Kedar set to Teentaal and concluded with a drut composition. The event concluded with a performance by Shri Omkar Dadarkar, a Guru of the Academy. He began with a vilambit composition in Raga Jaijawanti and concluded with a drut composition of the Raga set to Teentaal. This was followed by two compositions in raga Sohini set to Teentaal and a bhajan in Raga Bhairavi.
Image Courtesy: Sayan Deb Chowdhury