Mausiqui Ensemble

Experience the magic as exceptional artists from across the globe blend their musical prowess to create a concert brimming with unity, love, and peace. The group includes

Jay Gandhi - Flute
Hidayat Khan - Sitar
Ehren Hanson - Tabla
Camila Celin - Sarod
Abhik Mukherjee - Sitar
Zaira
Zafar

Jay Gandhi

A multifaceted artist, Jay is a senior disciple of the legendary Pandit ‪Hariprasad Chaurasia‬. In addition to having accompanied his Guru for multiple concert tours, he has established himself as a prominent solo performer of Hindustani classical flute.   His parallel explorations in American Jazz have afforded him the honor of performing with such greats as ‪Ravi Coltrane‬, ‪Reggie Workman‬, Jeff “Tain” Watts, as well as of sharing the stage with the legendary ‪Pharoah Sanders‬.   Based out of NYC, Jay maintains a busy schedule of touring, teaching and as a founding member of the Brooklyn Raga Massive, a prominent musicians collective.

Hidayat Khan

“A daring dedicated performer. His fans fondly say he plays the sitar through strings that sing” an apt description by Vibe for the sitarist/ vocalist Hidayat Husain Khan. Rolling Stones praises him and his music as “Jazzing up the sitar. Khan adds new shades to the music with his mastery.” He has been described, as “born to play” by Montreal Times. “Charismatic, charming and fun, Hidayat Khan plays with the audience” by Off Beat. His music has been praised by Le Mond De as “Divinity” and “His music was transporting, piercing the soul till the last drops of emotions were flowing through the body.” By Khaleej Times. He is one of the rare sitarist who adds a soulful voice to his performance which Music-Online captured it well in “Dazzling bursts of amazing taans followed by mesmerizing vocals” He has been fortunate to have performed at The Black Ball Charity in NYC with Alicia Keys and has collaborated with such illustrious musical names as Ndugu Chancler, Ronnie Woods, Usher, Zakir Hussain, Pete Townshend, Will.I.Am, Jay Z and Darryl Jones. Few upcoming performances and albums include a musical theater with Danish Hussain, which will premiere in April 2019 in New York City. Live performances accompanied by book reading in a number of Literature festivals for the “Music and Story” book release with author Namita Devidayal on the life of Ustad Vilayat Khan in late fall 2018. He has ongoing “Art of Sitar” lec/dem on creativity and music. Performance at the famous RIFF festival in October 2018. His new Single “ Anjane Raste” with Carls Low and Amit Inderdo is to be released with a music video in September 2018. His group album “Melodic Intersect” has been included in Grammy Ballot for the best World Music Album since 2016 where his music has been praised by The Chase as “Khan’s solo builds the intensity, with quick lines and flurries, leading the ensemble into a climax that is both musically satisfying and leads to the ending statement..” The ensemble’s recent sold out concert at the IndoJazz festival at The Jazz at Lincoln center was “the most eclectic act, the group eschewed slow and steady melodic development for a mercurial pastiche of changing moods and modes” by The NYC Jazz World. The ensemble has garnered a lot of praises, described as a “Giant step forward in the richly growing discography of this cohesive and empathetic ensemble.” By The Jazz world and by SeattlePi as “The result is a world music that soothes and challenges simultaneously.” His solo album “Ziver” was voted “One of the best world music albums of the year” by MTV music charts and “Beautiful and unconventional to the core” – Midday. His talent is not restricted to albums and live performances; he has lent his versatility in several film score compositions, the most famous being “Kamasutra.” He harbors a rare, creative brilliance that effortlessly takes him across all genres and nuances of music and can seamlessly transition from the very classical playing the intricate meands (slides) of the Etawa/VilayatkhaniGharana to the very colloquial. This is best reflected in The NYC Jazz World’s quote “performing in a style, which, while patently steeped in Hindustani (North Indian) influences, defied facile categorization” and in Jazz Weekly describes his music as “If you want to know true “world music” Khan might do it for you.” It is not a surprise to know that he is a direct descendant and proponent of one of the most treasured lineages of eastern classical music. Son of the legendary Ustad Vilayat Khan, globally acclaimed as the greatest of all sitarists. The London Times aptly describes Hidayat as "the tradition carries on impeccably."

Ehren Hanson

Ehren Hanson is professional NYC based tabla player. He began learning tabla at age 15 and in 2000, he became a disciple of legendary tabla maestro Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, with whom he has been a dedicated disciple ever since. His early training was from Misha Masud, and he has had the fortune of also receiving taleem from Ray Spiegel of Panjab gharana. Ehren performs classical Indian music as a soloist and accompanist in NY and around the world. He has the fortune of accompanying maestros including the late Pandit Ramesh Mishra, late Pandit Subrata Ryan Chowdhury, Steve Gorn, and others. He has also collaborated on experimental and creative projects with West African giant Noura Mint Seymali, Cuban legend Bobby Carcasess, Roman Diaz, the American Symphony Orchestra, and many others. He is the co-host of the Brooklyn Court - a music series featuring touring and local artists in an intimate setting, reminiscent of the royal courts of Indian history. Ehren is also the founder of Viewcy.com, and an amateur chef.

Camila Celin

Camila Celin began playing guitar at age nine. For several years, she has been doing intensive studies in the Indian sarod, in Kolkata with sarod player Sougata Roy Choudhury and in New York with sitar maestro Pandit Krishna Bhatt. In 2009 she was nominated for a Grammy for best world music album in collaboration with slide guitar maestro Debashish Bhattacharya. She has been an active performer in her native Colombia, the U.S. and India. Camila has composed music for several films, for theater as well as for commercials and lives between New York City and Kolkata, India.

Abhik Mukherjee

Abhik Mukherjee is an Indian classical sitar artist of the Etawah gharana known for his passion, charisma, and spontaneity as a performer and improviser. He received his musical training from Pandit Arvind Parikh and Pandit Kashinath Mukherjee, themselves the disciples of the legendary Ustad Vilayat Khan. Abhik began his sitar training at the age of six in Kolkata, India under the guidance of his father. His first performance was at the age of nine at the Governor’s House in Kolkata. Abhik has performed and given workshops in India, the United States, Singapore, Taiwan, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Netherlands, Suriname, Colombia, Cuba, and Argentina. He has performed as a featured soloist with the New York Philharmonic and shared the stage with Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder at the inaugural concert for the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial in Washington, D.C. Abhik has directed music for independent documentaries and composed and performed music for mainstream Hollywood films such as On Golden Year, Low Down, and A Call to Spy. Abhik is a founding member of Brooklyn Raga Massive a popular artist collective in NYC. He is also the academic director of Chhandayan, a leading Indian music school on the East Coast.

Abhisek Lahiri = Sarode

Subrata Bhattacharya = Tabla

Come join us for an early evening concert of Sarode Music featuring Abhisek Lahiri accompanied by Subrata Bhattacharya at the Sofia Fahs Theater in Princeton NJ. Tickets are available through Viewcy.

Abhisek Lahiri

Abhisek Lahiri is a prolific sarod player. He is an artist of Indian national radio and television. He was trained by his father and Guru Pt. Alok Lahiri from a very early age. In his approach to Raga improvisation, he blends the traditional norms with unanticipated notes and phrases. And his approach to sarod playing incorporates the specialties of three major gharanas of Sarod, those of Shahajahanpur, Senia Maihar and Senia Bangash (Gwalior).  

Abhisek’s performances have won the hearts of thousands of audience across the globe. He started performing at the early age of 11 years. In 1997 he was invited by Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia to play at Saath Saath Festival. In the same year he gave his debut of overseas performances in Holland at the World Kinder Festival. That was just the commencement of a prodigy's lifelong commitment towards music, later laid to concert tours in Europe, U.K., U.S.A., Canada, Sri Lanka, Japan, Bangladesh and India. He, along with his father Pt. Alok Lahiri, became the first Indians to perform at the European Parliament in France, at the Cannes World Music Festival and Canada Culture Days in Toronto. He has also performed at the RIMPA Festival organized by Ravi Shankar Institute in New Delhi, Dover Lane Music Conference in Kolkata, Harvallabh Sangeet Sammelan in Jalandhar, Saptak Music Festival in Nasik, Darbar Music Festival in London and many more. 

Abhisek has fused with the Japanese Guitarist Hideaki Tsuji and formed a group called Ionah. Abhisek's musical albums Sparkling Sarod got nomination at GIMA (Global Indian Music Awards) in 2010 and Mood Of Puriya Kalyan in 2014.  

He is the recipients of several awards and recognitions, such as the Anun Lund Rej Memorial Award from the Norwegian Consulate, Certificate of Appreciation from Rotary International Club & Lions Club, Toronto, The Telegraph School Award, National Scholarship from the Government of India, President’s Award by winning the first position in the All India Radio Music competition, Rashtriya Gaurav Award, Ustad Afzallur Rahman Memorial Award from Brahmanberia, Bangladesh, Jadubhatta Purashkar from Salt Lake Cultural Association and Sarbabharatiya Sangit o Sanskriti Parishad in Kolkata, India.  

Subrata Bhattacharya

Subrata Bhattacharya is an Indian tabla player. He is a senior disciple of late Pt. Shankara Ghosh. Subrata is known for his specialties in experimentations and reinterpretations the tradition of Indian music and culture. He comfortably trifles with a vast repertoire of musical genres, from classical, new-age, fusion and independent music. He was a visiting professor at the University of Urbana Champaign, IL.

His music is strongly influenced by Indian Classical and Western Music. One of India's finest Tabla players, Subrata also holds the rare distinction of being one of the most well- known names in the world of Indo-fusion music. He has performed in India, USA, Europe and the Middle East with the renowned musicians like Dr. L. Subramaniam, Dr. N. Rajam, Pt. Viswamohan Bhatt, Pt. Budhaditya Mukherjee, Ud. Shahid Parvez, Pt. V. G. Jog, Pt. Samaresh Chaoudhury, Pt. Tejendra Narayan Mazumdar, Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya to name a few. Subrata has formed his band NTES (Naad-The Everlasting Sound), which made him one of the most popular musical stars of his generation. He has been a part of the Chicago-based Indo-fusion group Flat Earth Ensemble since its inception. Subrata recently formed an unique group EMME (East Meets Middle East) also based out of Chicago.

D Balakrishna - Carnatic Veena

Bala Skandan - Mrdangam

Join us in Princeton New Jersey for a Carnatic Veena Concert by D. Balakrishna. The performance will be live at the Sophia Fahs theater, and will also be streamed live.

D. Balakrishna

Sri. D. Balakrishna is the son and disciple of Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr. Mysore V. Doreswamy Iyengar (Padmabhushana Awardee) who was a Veena artiste par excellence of the glorious Mysore School of Veena playing, synonymous with the
great Veena Sheshanna. He underwent rigorous training under the tutelage of his father since childhood. He
has given innumerable duet performances with his father as well as critically acclaimed solo performances in India and abroad. The highlights of his artistry lie in his natural flair for purity of notes, raga opulent with mellifluousness and bhava, expertise to rhythm and smoothness of style. He enjoys the distinction of performing as a Top Grade artist of All India Radio and brought laurels to Karnataka by performing numerous national programmes on AIR and Doordarshan. Apart from solo concerts, he has played numerous jugalbandhis/ duets with eminent artistes namely Sangeeta Kalanidhi M Chandrashekaran, Ustad Bahuddin Dagar, Pandit Rajeev Taranath and Pandit Debiprasad Ghosh to name a few.

Balakrishna aims at preserving and sustaining the authentic classicism of the Mysore veena tradition (a k a Mysore Baani) for the posterity. As a part of this endeavor, he is grooming disciples of whom several are currently well known AIR artistes and concert performers.

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES: Sri Balakrishna is the worthy recipient of many prestigious awards and honors.
1. Honored as the “Best Veena Player” from Madras Music Academy in the years 1979, 1991, 1996, 2006 and 2008.
2. Conferred the title Ganakalshri from the Karantaka Gana Kala Parishat in 1997.
3. Received Puttachar memorial award from the percussive art centre, Bangalore in 1997.
4. The Gana Kala Parishat honour for presenting the best concert at their annual music conference 2002.
5. Best Lecture demonstration of pallavis given by the Karnataka Gana Kala Parishat at their annual music conference 2003.
6. In the year 2009, The Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham honoured by appointing him the Asthana Vidvan of Sri Kamakoti Peetham.
7. The prestigious Naada Brahma Sangeetha Sabha of Mysore conferred on him the title “VAINIKA BRAHMA” in October, 2013.
8. The Karnataka Sangeetha Nrithya Academy has conferred on him the title “KARNATAKA KALASHREE” (award of honour) in 2014, in recognition of his contribution in preserving and propagating the excellent Mysore style and
Veena technique.
9. In Jan 2014, the prestigious Thyagaraja Sangeetha Sabha, Mysore conferred on him the title “KALADEEPHTI”.
10. He was conferred with the title “KALABHUSHANA” by the prestigious Sri Thyagaraja Gaana Sabha Trust in May 2016.
11. In Nov 2016, he was presented with the Veena Sheshanna Memorial National Award by the prestigious Swaramurhty V.N. Rao Trust in recognition of his contributions to Carnatic Music.
12. Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandira, Bangalore, honored him with the title “Lalitha Kala Suma” on 23 rd August 2017, in recognition of his contribution in propagating Carnatic Music.
13. Belakavadi Sangeetha Sabha conferred the title “Srivara Kalaratna” during their 59 th Hanuma Jayanthi Music Festival at Bangalore in Dec 2017, in recognition of his service to Carnatic Classical Music.
14. Chintalapalli Parmpara Trust (with 800 years of rich history) honored him with Lifetime Achievement award and conferred the title “Parampara Pradheepanacharya” on him in Feb 2018.
15. M.A. Narasimhachar Music Foundation conferred the title of “Gaanavaaridhi” in Nov 2018.
16. In Mar 2019, Violin Maestro M. Chandrashekaran, President of Charubala Trust, Chennai, conferred the title “Veena Nadamani” during the annual music festival of the Trust.
17. Ananya Bangalore, an Institution dedicated to the cause of Carnatic Music and Dance honored D. Balakrishna with the “Ananya Puraskara” in Dec. 2021.
18. Sri Academy of Music and Arts (SAMA), presented the “SAMA Life Time Award” on Sept. 25 th 2022.
19. The Prestigious Bangalore Gayana Samaja (Estd. 1905) conferred the title of “Sangeetha Kala Rathna” on D.Balakrishna during its 52 nd Annual Music Conference held from 09-10-2022 to 16-10-2022.

INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM
It is creditable that Sri D. Balakrishna has taken the flavor of Carnatic Classical Music to foreign shores. As part of his father’s Pancha Veena Troupe he traveled to Russia in 1987. The year 1988 saw him winning a wide audience in Britain while accompanying his father. Again, in the 1991 prestigious Festival of India held in Germany he participated successfully in the Pancha Veena Programme under his father’s guidance. His 2002 tour of the USA was an impressive musical voyage showcasing the unique elegance of the Mysore Veena Tradition. He represented the
Govt. of Karnataka in the Vishwa Kannada Sammelana held in 2006 at Washington,
USA and was lauded by the audience. He has given concerts at the Cleveland
(U.S.A.) Tyagaraja Festival in 2010 teaming with Sangeetha Kalanidhi T N Shesha Gopalan on the Veena.

Bala Skandan

Bala Skandan is a performer, teacher and composer of Carnatic music. He is a multi-instrumentalist performing the mridangam, Carnatic violin, kanjira and vocal rhythm. He has accompanied musicians and dancers of various genres across the world and has also given leading percussion performances through his own band Akshara. He has trained many Mridangam and Violin students over the years who themselves perform widely in the tri-state area. He has been a guest teacher at Manhattan School of Music, NYU Music Department as well as the prestigious Juilliard School of Music.

Bala Skandan is the lead musician and composer of Akshara, a NY based ensemble rooted in Carnatic music. His composition Mohana Blues won the best world music track in the 13th independent music awards ceremony. Bala Skandan trained under the legendary Karaikudi Mani on mridangam.

The performance will feature a fusion piece between Indian Classical and Jazz music composed by Samir Chatterjee called "To-I-Light," which is based on the Indian Classical Raag of Marwa

The performers include Aditya Phatak (tabla), Rikhav Sanjeev (bass guitar), Gabe Bachman (electric guitar), Anish Dharam (harmonium), Stephen Oduro (drums), Nirayka Monga (piano), and Will Schetelich (trumpet)

As usual, the donations collected from this concert will be put towards the nurturing of the Chhandayan Art Centers in West Bengal, which aim to support Indian artists who have suffered as a result of the pandemic

Concert streaming links should be available on Youtube near the end of July. Please Check back.

Vocal - Srimati Pradnya Jadhav

Tabla - Neil Khare

Harmonium - Anish Dharam

This concert will feature vocalist Srimati Pradnya Jadav accompanied by Neil Khare on tabla and Anish Dharam on harmonium, all residents of New Jersey.

Srimati Pradnya Jadhav

Pradnya Jadhav started learning at an early age from Smt. Anuradha Garud of Gwaliar gharana. She is privileged to continue her studies under the guidance of Smt. Arati Ankalikar Tikekar who is recognized as one of the top vocalists in India. Software analyst by profession, Pradnya is following her passion. She has performed in various classical/light classical concerts around tri-state area. She runs a Hindustani classical vocal music school in Edison NJ.

Neil Khare

Neil Khare learns tabla from his father and Shri Amod Dandawate. He has received many awards in the Instrumental tabla solo category and has accompanied several artists in the Tri-State area. Besides his musical passion, he is a president of a charity organization in his school and has organized several events to raise funds for the organizations such as : Thirst Project.

He looks forward to continuing his passion for tabla and requests for all of your blessings for his future success.

3rd Concert - Chhandayan Youth Concert Series

Chhandayan India is presenting a series of on-line concerts to raise funds for Indian artists suffering as a result of the pandemic. The third of these concerts will be presented on April 17, 2021 at 11AM EDT. This program is titled "Shades of Yaman," and will feature five talented Indian-American youths. The idea behind this theme is to explore Yaman through several different genres of Indian music beyond pure classical. The compositions presented will vary in style, language, etc. but will all be based on the notes of Raag Yaman. The genres we will present include natyasangeet, tarana, harmonium solo, bhavgeet, bollywood, bhaktigeet, and ghazal.

Admission is free but we encourage those that watch to donate to Chhandayan to support our efforts.

Artists:
Aditya Phatak - Vocal/Tabla
Sayli Limaye - Vocal
Anish Dharam - Harmonium
Shankhadip Chakraborty - Vocal
Gayatri Phatak - vocal
Arnav Pofale - tabla
Sayuri Hadge - vocal

2nd Concert - Chhandayan Youth Concert Series

Chhandayan India is presenting a series of on-line concerts to raise funds for Indian artists suffering as a result of the pandemic. The second of these concerts will be presented on March 6 at 10AM EST. This program is titled "Languages of India," and will feature five talented Indian-American youths singing in five different Indian languages. Through this presentation, the performers hope to provide our audience with a snapshot of various forms of Indian Music.

Admission is free but we encourage those that watch to donate to Chhandayan to support our efforts.

Artists:
Vocalists:
Shankhadip Chakraborty
Sayli Limaye
Arnav Pofale
Sayuri Hadge
Aditya Phatak
Accompanists:
Tabla: Aditya Phatak
Harmonium: Anish Dharam
Mridangam: Apprajit Sriram
Janj: Ojas Limaye

Languages:
Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Rajasthani, Sanskrit

Sitar - Abhishek Mallick

Tabla - Samir Chatterjee

Unfortunately we have cancelled all performances until further notice because of the Coronavirus epidemic.

Abhisek Mallick

The Sitar is a world in itself….. a world of not just strings, but of transcending heights and unfathomable depths. Exploring this realm of infinity is something that Abhisek has made the mission of his life. Initiated into tabla at the tender age of four years, Abhisek stepped into the domain of sitar when he was seven. Under the strict tutelage of Pandit Shyamal Chattopadhyay, who is the disciple of the Late Ustad Md. Dabir Khan (the last descendant of Mian Tansen) and the legendary maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, his musical skills blossomed, helping him evolve as one of the most promising sitarists of this generation. Abhisek has also been fortunate to have received taalim from another maestro, Pandit Manilal Nag of Bishnupur Gharana. At present he is continuing his taalim under Pandit Shyamal Chattopadhyay. He gave his first public performance at the age of 8 and has been a regular artiste of All India Radio since he was ten.

Abhisek has proved his musical acumen by receiving the prestigious “President’s Award” from the Government of India, after achieving the first position in All India Radio (Hindustani Classical Instrumental) Music Competition in Sitar in 2003. The Ministry of Tourism and Culture , Govt. of India , has conferred upon him the senior National Scholarship of 2003, in the field of Hindustani Classical Music (Instrumental). He is also the recipient of the Award in the year 2003 from I.T.C. Sangeet Research Academy organised by the “International Foundation for Fine Arts”, Mumbai. His musical career is etched with numerous other awards --- “The Rajya Sangeet Academy Award”, “Pandit Ravi Kichloo Award”, “Salt Lake Cultural Association Award”, being some of them. His musical recitals have been widely acclaimed by critics and he has received many positive press reviews from notable dailies and magazines like ---“Anandabazaar Patrika”, “The Hindustan Times”, “The Telegraph”, “The Statesman”, “ Pratidin”, “ Sananda” and the like.

He has accompanied his Guruji at many reputed classical conferences in and around Kolkata. He has also performed at various concerts of eminence across India.

Abhisek is presently a graded artist of All India Radio, and Doordarshan and other media channels. Through his recitals, he has moved audiences not only at home, but also at several venues across Europe and America. For the last two years, he has been residing in USA and touring extensively on account of his concerts. Academically, he is also a B. Tech ( Electrical).

Samir Chatterjee

Samir Chatterjee is a virtuoso Tabla player from India. He travels widely across the world throughout the year performing in numerous festivals as a soloist or with other outstanding musicians from both Indian and non-Indian musical traditions. Samir performed at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway in 2007. He also performed a few times at the United Nations General Assembly. His compositions are widely acclaimed as well as his writings. Samir is a firm believer in the transforming effect of music on the society and all aspects of his work reflects this conviction.

Samir began his studies early with Pandit Bankim Ghosh, Pt. Balaram Mukherjee, Pt. Rathin Dhar and Mohammad Salim. His later formation as a musician occurred under the guidance of Pt. Amalesh Chatterjee (since 1966) and Pt. Shyamal Bose (since 1984). All of Samir's teachers have been from the Farrukhabad Gharana (school) of Tabla-playing, which he now represents.
           
Samir is rated ‘A’ as an artiste of Indian national radio and television. He can be heard on numerous recordings featuring as soloist, accompanying many of India's greatest musicians and in collaboration with western musicians of outstanding caliber. In concert Samir has accompanied many of India's greatest musicians including Pt. Ravi Shankar, Ud. Vilayat Khan, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Pt. Jasraj, Pt. Nikhil Banerjee, Pt. V.G. Jog, Pt. Shivkumar Sharma, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, M. S. Gopalakrishnan, Ud. Amjad Ali Khan, Ud. Salamat Ali Khan, Smt. Lakshmi Shankar, Pt. Manilal Nag, Ud. Ali Ahmed Hussain, Ud. Aashis Khan, Dr. L. Subramanium, U Srinivas, Ud. Naseeruddin Sami, Smt. Veena Sahashrabuddhe, Ud. Shujat Khan, Ud. Saheed Parvez, Pt. Ajoy Chakraborty, Ud. Nishat Khan, Ud. Rashid Khan, Pt. Tejendra N. Mazumdar, Pt. Debashish Bhattacharya, Smt. Arti Anklekar, Smt. Kaushiki Chakraborty, to name only a few.
           
Samir Chatterjee lives in the New York-New Jersey area, and has been a catalyst in the fusion of Indian and Non-Indian music, in his own creations and others as well. He performs with Pauline Oliveros, William Parker, Branford Marsalis, Ravi Coltrane, Joshua Bell, Yoko Ono Lenon, David Liebman, Oliver Lake, Dave Douglas, Ned Rothenberg, Mark Dresser, Mark Feldman, Jerome Harris, Eric Friedlander, Steve Gorn, Glen Velez, Boby Sanabria, Jin Hi Kim, Min Xiao-Fen, Dance Theater of Harlem, Boston Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, Ethos Percussion group, Da Capo Chamber Orchestra, Boston Musica Viva and other jazz, classical and avant guard musicians and ensembles. He also collaborates with Sufi-Rock singer Salman Ahmad of Junoon from Pakistan. He is the composer and director of Indo-Flame – a blend of Indian and Flamenco dance and music, Chhand-Anand - a world percussion ensemble, RabiThakur – a ballet on the life of Tagore, Meghadootam – a feature program of music and dance on an ancient Indian poem, and Dawn to Dusk and Beyond – on the effect of music on humans and nature. He performs with Sanjay Mishra on his CD "Blue Incantation" featuring Jerry Garcia as guest artist.
           
Samir Chatterjee has been teaching for the last 35 years and many of his students are established performers. He is the Founder-Director of CHHANDAYAN, an organization dedicated to promoting and preserving Indian music and culture. He has authored a comprehensive 654-page book entitled A Study of Tabla, a guide book to Indian music titled Music of India and Those Forty Days, a journal of an austere practice regimen. He is on the faculty at Manhattan School of Music, University of Pittsburgh and New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. He also taught at the Yale University, Columbia University, New York University and Princeton University, among many other major institutions in the USA, Europe and India. He also contributes to several newspapers and periodicals. He won gold medal for his proficiency in a musical examination and has two Master degrees, in English and History.

Program:
5:30 - 6:30 Reception
6:30 - 8:30 Sitar Concert:
Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan (sitar),
Samir Chatterjee (tabla)

Snacks will be saved for attendees buying admission by 27th September midnight.

Tickets: $30 regular and $50 VIP (front seating).

This event is partnered with AUM Events and Vibrnz

Shahid Parvez

Shahid Parvez Khan is widely recognized as one of the greatest sitar players of the world. The recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the Government of India's Padma Shri and the Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Shahid Parvez Khan regularly tours across India, Europe, North America, Asia and Australia, enthralling audiences everywhere.

Shahid Parvez’s music is both novel and evolving. His unique tone and astute artistic sense have become his hallmark as a respected performer and composer. The power of his music emanates from the highly charged sound he conjures on stage. He emphasizes the unique capabilities of this sitar itself while drawing upon numerous musical influences easily recognizable to a knowing ear. He has achieved success in not only preserving tradition, but also pushing its boundaries to even greater heights of aesthetic beauty.

Shahid Parvez Khan represents the seventh generation of the sitar’s first family, the Etawah Gharana. A very young Shahid Parvez was initiated into the rich traditions of the Gharana by his father and guru, Ustad Aziz Khan - the famous musician and son of legendary sitar and surbahar virtuoso Ustad Waheed Khan. His family has produced the most revered and influential figures in Hindustani Classical Music including Ustad Sahabdad Khan, Ustad Imdad Khan, Ustad Enayet Khan, and Ustad Vilayat Khan.

Samir Chatterjee

Samir Chatterjee is a virtuoso Tabla player from India. He travels widely across the world throughout the year performing in numerous festivals as a soloist or with other outstanding musicians from both Indian and non-Indian musical traditions. Samir performed at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway in 2007. He also performed a few times at the United Nations General Assembly. His compositions are widely acclaimed as well as his writings. Samir is a firm believer in the transforming effect of music on the society and all aspects of his work reflects this conviction.

Samir began his studies early with Pandit Bankim Ghosh, Pt. Balaram Mukherjee, Pt. Rathin Dhar and Mohammad Salim. His later formation as a musician occurred under the guidance of Pt. Amalesh Chatterjee (since 1966) and Pt. Shyamal Bose (since 1984). All of Samir's teachers have been from the Farrukhabad Gharana (school) of Tabla-playing, which he now represents.

Samir is rated ‘A’ as an artiste of Indian national radio and television. He can be heard on numerous recordings featuring as soloist, accompanying many of India's greatest musicians and in collaboration with western musicians of outstanding caliber. In concert Samir has accompanied many of India's greatest musicians including Pt. Ravi Shankar, Ud. Vilayat Khan, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Pt. Jasraj, Pt. Nikhil Banerjee, Pt. V.G. Jog, Pt. Shivkumar Sharma, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, M. S. Gopalakrishnan, Ud. Amjad Ali Khan, Ud. Salamat Ali Khan, Smt. Lakshmi Shankar, Pt. Manilal Nag, Ud. Ali Ahmed Hussain, Ud. Aashis Khan, Dr. L. Subramanium, U Srinivas, Ud. Naseeruddin Sami, Smt. Veena Sahashrabuddhe, Ud. Shujat Khan, Ud. Saheed Parvez, Pt. Ajoy Chakraborty, Ud. Nishat Khan, Ud. Rashid Khan, Pt. Tejendra N. Mazumdar, Pt. Debashish Bhattacharya, Smt. Arti Anklekar, Smt. Kaushiki Chakraborty, to name only a few.

Samir Chatterjee lives in the New York-New Jersey area, and has been a catalyst in the fusion of Indian and Non-Indian music, in his own creations and others as well. He performs with Pauline Oliveros, William Parker, Branford Marsalis, Ravi Coltrane, Joshua Bell, Yoko Ono Lenon, David Liebman, Oliver Lake, Dave Douglas, Ned Rothenberg, Mark Dresser, Mark Feldman, Jerome Harris, Eric Friedlander, Steve Gorn, Glen Velez, Boby Sanabria, Jin Hi Kim, Min Xiao-Fen, Dance Theater of Harlem, Boston Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, Ethos Percussion group, Da Capo Chamber Orchestra, Boston Musica Viva and other jazz, classical and avant guard musicians and ensembles. He also collaborates with Sufi-Rock singer Salman Ahmad of Junoon from Pakistan. He is the composer and director of Indo-Flame – a blend of Indian and Flamenco dance and music, Chhand-Anand - a world percussion ensemble, RabiThakur – a ballet on the life of Tagore, Meghadootam – a feature program of music and dance on an ancient Indian poem, and Dawn to Dusk and Beyond – on the effect of music on humans and nature. He performs with Sanjay Mishra on his CD "Blue Incantation" featuring Jerry Garcia as guest artist.

Samir Chatterjee has been teaching for the last 35 years and many of his students are established performers. He is the Founder-Director of CHHANDAYAN, an organization dedicated to promoting and preserving Indian music and culture. He has authored a comprehensive 654-page book entitled A Study of Tabla, a guide book to Indian music titled Music of India and Those Forty Days, a journal of an austere practice regimen. He is on the faculty at Manhattan School of Music, University of Pittsburgh and New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. He also taught at the Yale University, Columbia University, New York University and Princeton University, among many other major institutions in the USA, Europe and India. He also contributes to several newspapers and periodicals. He won gold medal for his proficiency in a musical examination and has two Master degrees, in English and History.

Vocal - Pdt. Nagraj Havaldar
Vocal - Omkarnath Havaldar
Tabla - Kedarnath Havaldar
Harmonium - Sameer Havaldar

Program:
Act 1:
  Kedar Havaldar - Tabla Solo
  Sameer Havaldar - Harmonium

Act 2:
Omkarnath Havaldar - Vocal
  Kedar Havaldar - Tabla
  Sameer Havaldar (Harmonium)
 
Intermission

Act 3:
 Nagraj Havaldar - Vocal
 Kedar Havaldar - Tabla
Sameer Havaldar - Harmonium

Note - This concert was originally scheduled for September 8.

Pdt Dr. Nagaraj Rao Havaldar

Dr. Nagaraj Rao Havaldar is a leading artiste of the Kirana Gharana.  He is a disciple Pt. Madhava Gudi, himself a prime disciple of Bharat Ratna Pt. Bhimsen Joshi. He is also a disciple of Pt. Panchakshari Swami Mattigatti, a senior disciple of Pt. Mallikarjun Mansur, from whom he has imbibed the niceties of the Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana. Pt. Havaldar brings to his performances the subtle understanding of a scholar and the finesse of an aesthete.
A gold medalist in M.A. (History and Archeology), he holds a Doctorate in Music from Karnataka University, his doctorate thesis being "The History of Classical Music in Karnataka". He holds with distinction, "Sangeetha Ratna", a degree in Hindustani Classical Music from Karnataka University. He has worked at the Music Archives, Hubli, All India Radio, Bangalore, as a Program Executive (1988-1991). He was also the chairman of Textbook Committee for Hindustani Music, for The Directorate of Textbooks, Karnataka. His column ‘Anuraaga’ based on the life of musicians has caught the imagination of readers. He has been contributing articles to various leading Kannada papers and weekly magazines. Hampi University has published a book titled ‘Badalaaguttiruva Kaalaghattadalli Shastreeya Sangeeta’ (“Indian Classical Music in Changing Times”) written by Dr. Havaldar.

During his study for "Sangeetha Ratna", a six year degree course Hindustani Classical Music from Karnataka University, Dharwad, Karnataka, he studied under Pt. Mallikarjun Mansur (the Head of the Department of Music). At the university, luminaries like Pt. Panchakshari Swami Mattigatti, Pt. Basavaraj Rajaguru, Pt. Sangameshwar Gurav and Dr. B.D. Pathak were his faculty members. While his style reflects his extensive training from Kirana masters, he is equally at ease with the Jaipur-Atrauli specialties such as Basanti Kedar, Kaunsi Kanada, Jai Jai Malhar, Shivmat Bhairav, Kabir Bhairav, Marwa Thaat Bhibas, Nat Malhar and many more. Gifted with a powerful voice that easily traverses three octaves, his music has a powerful emotional and intellectual appeal. His renditions of bhajans in various languages create a spiritually uplifting ambience.

Pt. Havaldar has performed all over in India, at festivals such as the Hampi Utsav (Karnataka), Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh (Benaras), Salt Lake Music Festival (Kolkata), Swar Zankar (Pune) etc. He has toured the U.S. and the U.K. extensively, and performed at the Chhandayan All Night Music Festival (New York and Toronto), Dhrishti Foundation Tribute Concert (Chicago), Arsha Vidya Gurukulam (Pennsylvania), Chinmaya Mission (Chicago), amongst others. Pt. Havaldar is frequently invited by Corporations and Universities to give lecture-demonstrations on Indian classical music appreciation, and stress management through music. He has given lecture-demonstrations at multinational companies such as Alcatel-Lucent (New Jersey), IBM (New York), Wipro (Bangalore) etc, and at universities such as the Yale University, University of Notre Dame, Northwestern University, University of Buffalo, University of Milwaukee, Bradley University, and Valparaiso University. He has been a visiting faculty at Elmhurst College in Chicago during Fall 2011, teaching Indian classical music to American music-major students. His regular visits to the US since 2001 have won him lot of fans, students and admirers.
Dr. Havaldar is the founder & president of Sunaada Art Foundation, an organization that aims to promote and preserve Indian classical music for the future generations, by archiving rare recordings, organizing concerts, and promoting senior, but lesser known artistes in Hindustani music, especially from Karnataka. Pt. Havaldar has been a pioneer in popularizing the Kannada Khayal by adapting Vachanas, literary works of Haridasa and suitable contemporary poetry in Kannada to the traditional khayal form.
His last visit to USA in 2011 August to December as a visiting professor of Hindustani Classical Music at Elmhurst College Chicago, his performance at the World Music Festival in Chicago & Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav at Pune have caught the global attention. His music can be heard on Youtube.

Omkarnath Havaldar

Omkarnath was born into a family of Musicians. His father, Dr. Nagaraj Rao Havaldar, is a well known Hindustani Classical Vocalist & his mother Smt. Sudhamayi is a graduate of Fine Arts. His maternal grandfather Sri. K. Raghavendra Rao, is a renowned music critic. His paternal grandfather Sri. Rama Rao Havaldar is an intuitive composer of traditional Kannada Devotional Music. Grandmother Smt. Ambuja Bai is well versed with Vachana Sahithya, Dasa Sahithya & regional traditional songs. His younger brother Kedarnath Havaldar is a promising Tablist of Farukhbad Gharan (Desciple of Pt. Rajgopal Kallurkar, Pt. M. Nagesh and Pt. Samir Chatterjee).

Omkarnath was initiated into roots of Hindustani Classical Music by his father Dr. Havaldar and his learning under the parental care is an ongoing process. The talent and promise that Omkarnath showed naturally prompted his parents to request the Doyens like Pt. Madhava Gudi ( Desciple of Bharath Ratna Pt. Bhimsen Joshi ) of Kirana Gharana and Pt. Panchakshari Swami Mattigatti of Atrauli Jaipur Gharana to train and hone the skills of their son. Omkarnath is fortunate to inherit the finest nuances of both the Gharanas. He is now pursuing his Thalim in Dhrupad and Khayal from Pt. Indudhar Nirody.

Omkarnath is a graduate in Psychology (from National College Jayanagar) and this has helped him to search out the emotional aspects of his Gharanas to blend them with technical skills of his natural vocalism. He has completed a Masters Degree in Music from (Karnataka State Gangubai Hanagal) KSGH University of Music and Performing Arts, Mysore.

Kedarnath Havaldar

Kedarnath Havaldar is fortunate to be born into a family of musicians. His father, Dr. Nagaraj Rao Havaldar, is a renowned Hindustani Classical Vocalist.  Kedar's mother, Sudhamayi, is a trained musician and a graduate from the College of Fine Arts in Mysore. His elder brother, Omkarnath, is an accomplished vocalist, having already established a niche in the field of classical music.

Kedar’s journey in music began with vocal training from his father at a very young age. But young Kedar was fascinated by the possibilities of Layakaari, rhythm and the Tabla. As it is said, "Swaramaatha Layapithaa," (Melody is the mother and Rhythm is the father). After pursuing his vocal training for five years, his initial training in Tabla began under Pt. Rajgopal Kallurkar, a renowned maestro of the Faroukhabaad Gharana. Kallurkar's affectionate training for the next 12 years helped Kedar blossom as a competent soloist and an accompanist. Kedar's quest for knowledge drove him to Pt. M. Nagesh, another dedicated teacher, and a disciple of Pt. Puttaraj Gawai. Panditji's vast experience and interaction with many senior musicians has been handed over to young Kedar with much forethought and care. Kedar is also a recipient of Kishora Prathibha Puraskaa, a state award for Tabla.

Presently, Kedar is learning from the internationally renowned Tabla maestro Pt. Samir Chatterjee. He went to Kolkata for a true Gurukul experience, in the year 2009 and continued his Taaleem from Samirji in the Chhandayan Centre for Indian Music, Manhattan, New York, for the next 2 years and continues to learn his Guru. He has completed his Post-Graduation in Tabla with a Gold Medal (Master of Arts) at KSGH University, Mysore. Kedar's constant interaction with his Guruji and the visiting musicians of the Chhandayan Center has fine-tuned his musical thoughts.

Kedar is extremely privileged to receive a special taaleem of vocal accompaniment under great Maestros like Pt. Madhava Gudi, Pt. Panchaksahri Swami Mattigatti. Presently, he trains with his father, Pt. Dr. Nagaraj Rao Havaldar and Pt. Indudhar Nirody. Constant interaction with these Maestros has made Kedar a sought after accompanist.

Academically, Kedar is active with the Azim Premji Foundtion teaching “Indian Rhythms in the course Introduction to Indian Classical music” and now currently teaching a course independently on “Global Rhythms – A World Phenomenon”.

Sameer Havaldar

Sameer Havaldar hails from a family of musicians. His first guru was Pt. Prabhudeva Salimath in Talikoti. Sameer's father Seshacahala is a retired Professor of History, used to sing Kannada light music and also an approved Kannada cricket commentator. Sameer's uncle Dr. Nagaraj Rao Havaldar is a noted Hindustani Classical Vocalist and a scholar. Sameer's college education and advanced music study has been with his cousins Omkarnath and Kedarnath Havaldar in Bangalore. Sameer holds a Masters Degree in Mass Communication and Journalism.  As well as studying harmonium,  he is an accomplished singer too.  Sameer is continuing his vocal and harmonium learning under his uncle Pt. Dr. Nagaraj Rao Havaldar and Pt. Panchaksharaiah Hiremath respectively.

Vocal - Mohan Deshpande
Vocal - Mitali Banerjee Bhawmik
Tabla - Samir Chatterjee
Harmonium - Kedar Naphade

Aaye Na Balam -  Thumri & Dhun from Benares and Punjab

In this concert, you will enjoy light-classical “Thumri” and “Dhun” from Banaras and Punjab.  Thumri is a highly emotive, beautiful and important genre in Indian semi-classical music.  It has influenced many film songs, as well as other genres (e.g. Bhajan, Marathi Natyasangeet) from different parts of the country.  Many classical singers often sing a Thumri as a second or third piece in the concert. The lyrical content of a thumri has both romantic and spiritual connotations.
Indian classical and semi-classical music is not fully pre-composed and there is a lot of improvisation during the performance. Thumri is semi-classical,  so it does not necessarily need to be constrained by all the rules and restrictions that are imposed in classical music (such as the rendition of a raag).
Paradoxically, this liberty makes improvisation in a thumri more difficult for the performer, rather than making it easier.  The artist can take license with the melody, however departing too much from the original theme can detrimentally dilute the overall impact of the performance. The boundaries are blurred.  An intangible artistic sense dictates where one takes the melody, and whether the recital will have impact.  

In addition to performing wonderful folk songs and tunes, the artists will also speak about their thoughts and approach to improvisation during Thumri.

Mohan Deshpande

Dr. Mohan Deshpande is a well-known musician / musicologist born in an illustrious family of musicians tracing their connection back to Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar. Although he was steeped in the tradition of Hindustani Classical music virtually from birth, he approaches his continuing musical explorations from a novel perspective, characterized by a refreshing willingness to experiment with new forms of presentation and explore the limits of various genres.

Mohan learned his music from his father, a noted musical singer and educator, Maha Mahopadhyay Pandit S.B. Deshpande, of Hyderabad, India. Although educated in the Gwalior Gharana style, Mohan grew up immersed in a musical household and exposed to all the top musicians and ‘Ustads’ of the 50’s and 60’s such as Pandit Kumar Gandharva and Ustad Bade Gulam Ali Khan, that influenced the development of his unique musical style. While in medical school, in 1961, Mohan received the Presidential medal in that year's All-India Radio Musical Competition.

He has given numerous performances in vocal raagdari style in India, the US and Canada. Aiming to cultivate a love for Indian Classical tradition, he approaches his musical work with recognition of the needs of listeners in America and experiments with new ideas to increase the exposure of the Indian Classical style to both Indian and American audiences in the US. Thus, he has conducted a variety of discussions and demonstrations.  He designed and collaborated with several prominent NJ musicians to present several programs such as Kalyan darshan, Music of India etc.

Dr. Deshpande has been teaching vocal classical music to children and adults at Vivekananda Vidyapith for over 25 years. After a private practice in New Jersey for over 33 years as an Internist and Cardiologist, he retired in 2015. Now he continues his riaz, concerts and teaching of music.

Mitali Banerjee Bhawmik

Mitali Banerjee Bhawmik, an artiste of Hindustani Classical vocal music, was born in Nogaon, Assan, where she started her initial lessons in music at a very early age from Sri Ajit Dutta.  Later she had the privilege of receiving extensive training in the different styles of Hindustani Classical vocal music from Sri Biren Phukan in Guahati, Assam.  For further training, Mitali came to Calcutta in 1983 where she initially received lessons from Srimati Meera Banerjee, the noted vocalist.  Since 1984 Mitali is under the tutelage of Padmabhushan Pandit V. G. Jog the famous violin maestro. Pandit Jog's vast and extensive experience in the different musical styles and traditions have helped Mitali to blend the best of few styles (Gharanas) in her music in contrast to sticking to a single traditional Gharana style.  This has been the essence of Pandit Jog's philosophy in music and training methodology.Mitali also received training in semi-classical (thumri, dadra, hori etc) music from Smt. Dahlia Rahut, a senior disciple of Smt. Girija Devi.

Mitali has performed in several concerts both in India and USA.  To name a few, in USA, she has performed at the Ali Akbar College of Music in California, Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Yale University in Connecticut, Princeton University, Rutgers University in New Jersey, Chhandayan All Night Concert,  other universities in US and also at several locations in New York and New Jersey area. In India Mitali has performed at the Sangeet Research Academy, Salt Lake Music Festival, Bhawanipur Sangeet Samaj, Dover Lane Music Conference periodicals, Calcutta School of Music, World Bengali Conference, SPIC-MACAY concerts, West Bengal State Music conference in Kolkata, Delhi habitat center, IIC Delhi, NCPA Mumbai, Varanasi, Rajkot & Surat & several others. She has also performed at the Nehru Centre and Stratford in London UK.

Her melodious voice and perfect rendition of the "raga's" have won her numerous acclaims and appreciation from the listeners.  Besides Khayals, Mitali also specializes in semi-classical music like Thumris and Bhajans.

Mitali has two CDs “Vandana”, where her Guru Pandit V. G. Jog has accompanied her on the violin. She has another album, named “Rasiya” where she has been accompanied by Pt Ramesh Mishra on Sarengi and Pt Samir Chatterjee on tabla.

Mitali is the director of Ethnomedia Music Studio where she teaches Hindustani Classical Music to several students in the area.  Mitali along with her students has won the prestigious New Jersey Council of the Arts grant for four years.

Samir Chatterjee

Samir Chatterjee is a virtuoso Tabla player from India. He travels widely across the world throughout the year performing in numerous festivals as a soloist or with other outstanding musicians from both Indian and non-Indian musical traditions. Samir performed at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway in 2007. He also performed a few times at the United Nations General Assembly. His compositions are widely acclaimed as well as his writings. Samir is a firm believer in the transforming effect of music on the society and all aspects of his work reflects this conviction.    

Samir  Chatterjee began his studies early with Pandit Bankim Ghosh, Pt. Balaram Mukherjee, Pt. Rathin Dhar and Mohammad Salim. His later formation as a musician occurred under the guidance of Pt. Amalesh Chatterjee (since 1966) and Pt. Shyamal Bose (since 1984). All of Samir's teachers have been from the Farrukhabad Gharana (school) of Tabla-playing, which he now represents.
          
Samir is rated ‘A’ as an artiste of Indian national radio and television. He can be heard on numerous recordings featuring as soloist, accompanying many of India's greatest musicians and in collaboration with western musicians of outstanding caliber. In concert Samir has accompanied many of India's greatest musicians including Pt. Ravi Shankar, Ud. Vilayat Khan, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Pt. Jasraj, Pt. Nikhil Banerjee, Pt. V.G. Jog, Pt . Shivkumar Sharma, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, M. S. Gopalakrishnan, Ud. Amjad Ali Khan, Ud. Salamat Ali Khan, Smt. Lakshmi Shankar, Ud. Aashis Khan, Dr. L. Subramanium, Ud. Shujat Khan, Pt. Ajoy Chakraborty, Ud. Rashid Khan, Pt. Tejendra N. Mazumdar, Pt. Debashish Bhattacharya, to name only a few.
          
Samir Chatterjee lives in the New York-New Jersey area, and has been a catalyst in the fusion of Indian and Non-Indian music, in his own creations and others as well. He performs with Pauline Oliveros, William Parker, Branford Marsalis, Ravi Coltrane, Dave Douglas, Steve Gorn, Glen Velez, Boby Sanabria, Ben Verdery, Dance Theater of Harlem, Boston Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, Ethos Percussion group, Da Capo Chamber Orchestra, Boston Musica Viva and other jazz, classical and avant guard musicians and ensembles. He is member of jazz trio SYNC with Ned Rothenberg and Jerome Harris and quintet Inner Diaspora together with Mark Feldman and Eric Friedlander. He also collaborates with Sufi-Rock singer Salman Ahmad of Junoon from Pakistan. He is also the composer and director of Indo-Flame and Nacho Nacho - both blends of Indian and Flamenco dance and music, Chhand-Anand - a world percussion ensemble and Dawn to Dusk and Beyond – on the effect of music on humans and nature. He performs with Sanjay Mishra on his CD "Blue Incantation" featuring Jerry Garcia as guest artist.
          
Samir Chatterjee has been teaching for the last 35 years and many of his students are established performers. He is the Founder-Director of CHHANDAYAN, an organization dedicated to promoting and preserving Indian music and culture. He has authored a comprehensive 654-page book entitled ‘A Study of Tabla’ and a guide book to Indian music titled ‘Music of India’. He is on the faculty at Yale University, Manhattan School of Music, University of Pittsburgh, New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music and University of Bridgeport in CT. He also contributes to several newspapers and periodicals. He won gold medal for his proficiency in a musical examination and has two master degrees, in English and History.

Since June, 2008 Samir has been working relentlessly towards the musical revival of Afghanistan. He has made several trips to the country working with different levels of the society and administration and within a very short period of time he has been able to make a remarkable difference in the cultural life of the country.

Kedar Naphade

Born on January 10, 1972, Kedar Naphade received preliminary training in Hindustani Classical Music from his grandfather, Shri Dadasaheb Naphade and from Shri Arvind Gajendragadkar.

Since he was 10 years of age, Kedar has had the great good fortune of training under the loving and expert guidance of Pt. Tulsidas Borkar, one of the topmost harmonium players in India today. Under his nurturing guidance, Kedar has imbibed the unique style of solo harmonium performance developed by Pt. Borkarji’s guru, Madhukar Pednekar or P. Madhukar.  P. Madhukar was a genius with tremendous mastery over the instrument that is to date unsurpassed. His glorious tradition, which utilizes the strengths of the harmonium to the extreme, is presented to the connoisseur today by his stalwart disciples like Pt. Tulsidas Borkar and Pt. Anant Kemkar and the next generation of disciples consisting of Sudhir Nayak, Seema Mestri-Shirodkar, Kedar Naphade and others.   

Kedar has also had the privilege of training under Smt. Padmavati Shaligram-Gokhale, a veteran singer of the Atrauli-Jaipur gharana. She played a pivotal role in his musical development and sowed in him the seed that developed into a passionate love for the vocal art form. As such, Kedar’s music derives inspiration from the stylistic genius and dexterous wizardry of P. Madhukar as well as the character of the traditional Hindustani vocal art form, especially of the Gwalior  and Jaipur gharanas. In addition to classical music, Kedar also plays the semi-classical forms of Marathi Natyasangeet (Stage Music), Bhajans, Thumri, Dhun etc.

Kedar has performed harmonium solo and has accompanied vocalists at numerous concerts in India, Europe and in the U.S. including prestigious festivals and venues such as the Alladiya Khan Smruti Samaroha, Dadar Matunga Cultural Center, Lincoln Center, Symphony Space etc. He has accompanied artists of high caliber such as his guru Smt. Padmavati Shaligram-Gokhale, Pt. Phiroz Dastur, Pt. Jasraj, Smt. Veena Sahasrabuddhe, Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar, Smt. Laxmi Shankar and others. Kedar continues to train from Pt. Tulsidas Borkar and maintains an active concert schedule in the U.S.