This program will open with a sahnai recital by Hassan Haider Khan accompanied on tabla by Samir Chatterjee. This will be followed by a sitar recital by Abhisek Mallik.
Sitar - Abhisek Mallik
Sahnai - Hassan Haider / Tabla - Samir Chatterjee
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).
Hassan Haider
Hassan Haider is an acknowledged Sahnai player. His family hails from Allahabad, and he was born in Kolkata (Calcutta) on April 6th 1985. His father Ud. Ali Ahmed Hussain was a famous Shahnai maestro. His family has been representing this art form for generations.
Hassan Haider received his training in Benaras and Senia Gharanas from his father. He also learned from Pt. Arvind Parikh, the famous sitar maestro from school of Ud. Imdad Khan, Ud. Enayat Khan and Ud. Vilayat Khan. Hassan’s great grandfather Ud. Wazir Ali Khan was a musician of distinction. He was the first musician to ever perform the Shahnai at the Buckingham Palace in London, England in 1910 and was awarded by Pt. Motilal Nehru, the father of India’s first Prime Minister Jawharlal Nehru.
Even at this young age, Hassan Haider has already performed at many important music festivals, venues and occasions in India, such as The Autumn Festival of Dance and Music in celebration of India’s 50th year of independence, Dover Lane Music Festival in Kolkata, Harballav Festival in Jalandhar, Uttarpara Sangeet Chakra in West Bengal, Sri Ram Shankarlal Festival in Delhi, Ud. Alauddin Khan Academy in Bhopal, Sangeet Natak Academy in Pune, only to name a few. All of his performances have been well reviewed in newspapers and magazines.
He had toured and performed with his father in several countries outside India. Those include the USA, Canada, U.K., France, Switzerland and Belgium. He is regularly featured on Indian radio and television.
Samir Chatterjee
Samir Chatterjee is a virtuoso Tabla player. He travels widely across the world throughout the year performing in numerous festivals as a soloist or with other outstanding musicians from Indian and western traditions. He performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in Oslo, Norway in December 2007. He has also performed at the UN General Assembly several times. His compositions are widely acclaimed as well as his writings.
Samir 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. Samir lives in New Jersey and has been a catalyst in the fusion of Indian and Western music in the New York City metro area. He is the Founding President of Chhandayan, a not-for-profit organization promoting and preserving Indian music and culture. Samir teaches at several prestigious institutions. He has authored three books on Indian music; ‘A Study of Tabla’, ‘Music of India’ and Those Forty Days. Samir played a significant role in the musical revival in Afghanistan. He is the recipient of several awards such as the Sunshine Award, Jadu Bhatta Award and Acharya Varistha Award.