Sitar - Sugato Nag
Tabla - Samir Chatterjee
Admission: Free
Sugato Nag
One of the finest Sitar virtuosi amongst the present generation, and a worthy torchbearer of the famed Sarod Gharana of Senia Shahjahanpur, Pt. Sugato Nag started his training at the age of eight under the guidance of Late Shri Anil Roychowdhury. Sugato next became the disciple of sarod maestro, Sangeetacharya Radhika Mohan Maitra. He next took extensive training and guidance under renowned sarodiya, Late Padmabhushan Pt. Buddhadev Dasgupta. He has also taken talim from Pt. Ajoy Sinha Roy of the Maihar Gharana.
Sugato’s recital has a blending of the sitar baaj or style of playing of Ustad Vilayat Khan and the rabab based sarod baaj of Md. Ameer Khan of Shahjahanpore.
A very melodious and sensitive player, Sugato’s immense talent is evident in the way he handles the sitar, playing and synthesizing two very different types of baaj to create an unique and 'completely satisfying listening experience'. The alluring sweetness of his playing coming from the gayaki style, the effortless meends extending upto six pardas combined with strong and intricate bolwork and gamaks reflects a mastery of execution of the highest order.
Apart from performing all over India, Sugato has toured extensively in the US, Canada, Germany, France, UK, Holland, Australia, Japan and Mexico, playing in University circuits as well as in Music Conferences and holding the audience in sway with his scintillating and exquisite performances. A very eloquent speaker, Sugato has given a number of lecture cum demonstrations in Universities, music institutions and schools in the US, UK, Australia and Germany and have collaborated with western musicians in Australia to present Raga music through a western instrument ensemble and sitar.
His music workshops both for the beginner and advanced students of music are a learning experience and a joy to attend.
An ‘A’ grade musician of All India Radio and Doordarshan, and an ICCR empaneled artist, Sugato is a well known teacher having disciples around the globe - in the US, Germany, France, Finland, Portugal, Belgium, Austria, Japan and Australia, apart from hometown, Kolkata. Sugato believes in imparting lessons through one-to-one interaction between him and his students.
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.