The 2026 All-night Concert will be held on October 24th. The venue has been finalized at the Northern Virginia Baha’i Center. The Event is supported by the RTOT tourism grant of Loudoun County, Virginia.
The event will also be streamed live.
Program:
Tarini Nagarkar - vocal, with Abhay Kulkarni on tabla and Sheyash Ravi on harmonium
Swarnendu - sarod, with Mallar Goswami on tabla
Gauri Panthare - vocal, with Amod Dandavate on tabla and Shreyas Ravi on harmonium
Taalvadya Kachari - Samir Chatterjee - tabla, Selvaganesh - Kanjira,
Sanjoy Banerjee - vocal, Kedar Naphade on harmonium and Tejas Tope on tabla
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.
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, 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 guidebook 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's degrees, in English and History.
Since June 2008 Samir started working relentlessly towards the musical revival of Afghanistan. He made several trips to the country working with different levels of the society and administration and within a very short period of time was able to make a remarkable difference in the cultural life of the country. He is the recipient of several awards listed below:
Sunshine award, Caribbean Award in 2016, Jadu Bhatta award from Salt Lake Music Conference, Acharya Varistha award from Pandit Jasraj Institute of Music, Taal Mani award from Council of Indian Classical Music, Delhi in 2018, Lifetime Achievement award from SMIPAC Trust, Delhi in 2018, Pt. V. G. Jog award from Raag-Rang, 2024.
Selvaganesh
Selvaganesh was born in Chennai to Grammy-winner T.H. 'Vikku' Vinayakaram, a legendary musician and also a former member of the original Shakti. He is also the grandson of Sri T. R. Harihara Sharma, who founded the Sri Jaya Ganesh Tala Vadya Vidya Vadyalaya (Sri JGTV school) in Chennai. Selvaganesh had his initial training at his grandfather's school and then under his uncle, Ghatam Vidwan Shri T H Subashchandran. one of the leading musicians in the world of rhythm. Thumping into the musical world at an age as tender as 10, Selvaganesh has been mesmerizing the audience with his immaculate style and innate creativity. Selvaganesh is one of the leading musicians in the world of rhythm. He has been mesmerizing the audience with his immaculate style and innate creativity. Born into a family of musicians, it is no wonder that rhythm flows in his blood, which remains inseparable
Selvaganesh’s tryst with the international music platform came in the early 90s in Masters of Percussion along with his Zakir’s father Ustad Alla Rakha and late 90's when he joined Shakti to play along with John McLaughlin and Zakir Hussain. The showman that he is, his long hair and nimble fingers had Shakti catapult to fame.
Apart from playing authentic Carnatic Music, he has performed in many Fusion, Jazz, Blues, Flamenco, Symphony Orchestra, Celtic Music, Latin Music, DJ Music, World Music, Talavadya (Percussion Ensemble) and Jugalbandhi concerts and has been part of numerous International Music Festivals with renowned Indian Musicians like Dr L Shankar, Dr.L.Subramaniam, Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, He has also worked with many leading music directors in India. He has performed at the prestigious Venue – Carnegie Hall in the US along with Shri T H Vikku Vinayakram and Ustad Zakir Hussain
He was a child prodigy, with his concert career beginning at the age of 10. He established his right to be on the stage by playing with such dexterity that he was soon accompanying many famous vocalists in Carnatic music at the time, including Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna, M. S. Subhalakshmi, and others.
Selvaganesh gained world fame through tours with John McLauglin's group Remember Shakti. He helps his father, Grammy-winner T.H. Vikku Vinayakram, to run the Sri JGTV school and train a new generation of percussionists. He has also composed and produced albums and played with the Swedish bass virtuoso Jonas Hellborg and American guitar player Shwan Lane.
His debut international solo album, Soukha was released in 2006 featuring all other regular members of Remember Shakti including John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, U. Srinivas and Shankar Mahadevan, as well as sitar player Niladri Kumar and Selvaganesh's father T.H. "Vikku" Vinayakram. He has also formed a new group called Dr. JSM, with the UK-based Goan songwriter/producer Dr. Joel and the young Carnatic singer Mahesh. Their Indo-Celtic album entitled Turn on the dreams was released in the UK in 2005. He performed in the Prestigious United Nations Day in New York in 2009. He has composed Rhythm for Mira Nair’s movies Vanity Fair and the Monsoon Wedding
While the kanjeera appears to be a simple instrument, in the hands of Selvaganesh, it produces a surprisingly large palette. “He has transformed the sound and identity of his instrument—he makes that thing sound like a huge drum kit—and all the actual playing is done with one hand.” It is somehow fitting that the oldest instrument in the band is responsible for creating an almost techno vibe; the constant bell-like jangle of the kanjeera brings to mind the warp-speed jungle-groove of drum-and-bass music.
His latest venture is in the field of Indian Film Music. His debut music for a regional language film “Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu” is already a super hit. He has composed for a few more and had got a name for himself. Adding feather to the cap is his Filmi work in the Telugu Movie industry as well, wherein his first movie was a musical hit and is in the process of composing a few more.
Sanjoy Banerjee
Sanjoy Banerjee is a very famous musician from India and distinguished exponent of the Kirana Gharana of North Indian Vocal Classical Music. With his sonorous and unwavering voice he has enthralled audiences at home and abroad, performing in UK, Germany, Bangladesh and USA. He was a scholar at ITC Sangeet Research Academy under the able guidence of Late Pt. A Kanan ans Sangeet Bidushi Late Malabika Kanan, who considered him as their worthy successor to their musical heritage. He has received many awards and honors including Surmani Award from Sur Sringar Samsad , Mumbai, National Scholarship from Ministry of Human Resource and Development, Government of India in 1993 and Junior Fellowship from Department of Culture, Govt of India in 1996. Apart from this Sanjoy Banerjee is a successful Guru teaching at his own institution Kolkata Surourchhana in Kolkata and been as a senior Guru at American Academy of Indian Classical Music, New York, producing students who have already earned appreciation from all corners of the society.
He has performed in many concerts all over India namely ITC Music Conference, Kolkata, Swai Gandharva Music Conference, Hubli, Karnataka, State Music Academy, Kolkata, Sangeet Piyasi, Kolkata, Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai, He has also performed in cities like Stutgurt, Balingen, Nuremburg, Aachen, Linich and Kiel in Germany. He has also extensively performed in places like, London, Birminghum, Derby, Leicester, Nottingham,Hull, Scunthorp in UK. He has also been in Canada for concerts.
Also, he has been the Music Director in "Three cities project" involving the cities of Leicester, Nottingham and Derby in the year 2005 and 2006 in UK. He is also a visiting examiner at Visva Bharati University, Shantiniketan, West Bengal and Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), Department of Culture, Government of India. With great task lying in front of him, Sanjoyj seeks blessings from all.
Ms. Gauri Pathare
Gauri Pathare is a name to reckon with amongst the present generation of Indian Classical Music. Having initially trained under the guidance of Pt. Gangadharbuwa Pimpalkhare of kirana gharana, Gauri has had the good fortune of imbibing musical knowledge from Late Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki & Pandita Padmatai Talwalkar for several years. Since 2010 Gauri has been receiving Jaipur gharana training under Pt. Arun Dravid. This wonderful opportunity of training under different Gurus has left an indelible mark on Gauri's singing style. She has skillfully picked the nuances of the 3 gharanas, viz. Jaipur, Gwalior & Kirana.
Her various accolades include being awarded the prestigious Smt. Kesarbai Kerkar scholarship conferred by the NCPA in 2000-2001. Gauri received the Surmani Puraskar in 2006 and the ‘Pt. Ramkrishnabuwa Vaze Yuwa Gayak Puraskar’ in 2007, amongst many others awards. The most coveted ‘Swara-bhaskar’ award instituted in the memory of late Pandit Bhimsen Joshi for the year 2012-13 was awarded to Smt. Gauri Pathare. Gauri was also conferred the equally prestigious Aditya Vikram Birla ‘Kala Kiran Puraskar’ for the year 2013. Gauri has performed at most of the prestigious classical music festivals in India including Sawai Gandharva Mahotsav, Tansen festival, Chandigadh sangeet Sammelan, Kesarbai Kerkar Sammelan, Pt. Kumar Gandharva sangeet Sammelan, etc. Gauri Pathare also hosts an annual Indian classical music festival in Mumbai called Parle Swar Vasant in month of February.
Gauri has frequently performed in UK, France, Switzerland, USA, Australia, Canada, Dubai, Singapore and many other countries. Universal records, Mystica music co. and many more companies have released Gauri's audio CDs and her album 'Tribute' was nominated for GIMA awards.
Gauri's music has the influence of 3 gharanas. An innovative artiste, Gauri chose to study the intricacies of Jaipur gharana gayaki (singing style) as well. Gauri has successfully blended Jaipur, Gwalior and Kirana gharanas gayaki to form her unique style of khayal presentation. Retaining emotional quotient of each raag while blending the gayaki is what Gauri believes in.
Swarnendu
Hailing from Kolkata, India, Swarnendu is a 23-year-old prodigy, a Sarod virtuoso, and a master of Geology. Under the esteemed guidance of Pt. Buddhadev Dasgupta, representing the Senia Shahjahanpur Gharana, he has seamlessly blended the rich traditions of Indian classical music with contemporary finesse.
A senior scholar at the revered ITC Sangeet Research Academy under the guidance of Ustad Abir Hussain, Swarnendu has graced the world with captivating performances. Notable achievements include performances at the G20 Summit (2023) in Varanasi, ITC Sangeet Sammelan (2022), performance in Bhubaneshwar for Italian Consulate General (2022), and a remarkable first-place win at the All-Indian Universities Youth Festival in 2023.
Beyond his native land, Swarnendu has embarked on impressive tours across Europe, enchanting audiences in Germany and Austria in 2022, including performances at Cologne Durgotsav, Music for Peace, and more. His music journey continued with concerts in Vienna, Linz, Berlin, and Konstanz, leaving an indelible mark on international music enthusiasts. He has also toured Taiwan in 2019 to perform at the Sports and Culture Ministry.
Further highlighting his stature as a global musical ambassador, Swarnendu participated in a performance for the G20 Summit in Varanasi in 2023, a prestigious platform where he shared his music with world leaders and dignitaries, he also represented India in Asia Music Summit (2020).
Back on home turf, Swarnendu's multifaceted talents extend to academia, with a bachelor's as well as master's degree in Geology from Jadavpur University. This fusion of science and art reflects his multidisciplinary approach to life.
As of 2023, Swarnendu continues to ascend in the world of music and is also the recipient of the CCRT National Scholarship from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. He is also a graded artiste and regular performer at the All-India Radio and Doordarshan.
He has also worked as music composer for several short films and documentaries, composed music for Video Game, did collaborative projects with many international musicians, wrote as a music critic also arranged music for several projects.
Dr. 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 that exploits 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 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 etc. Kedar continues to maintain an active concert schedule in the U.S.
Tharini Nagarkar
Tharini Nagarkar began her musical training under Vidushi Amrutha Deshpande, the senior-most disciple of Pt. Vinayak Torvi, and currently continues her advanced training under the tutelage of Pt. Torviji and Sri Dhananjay Hegde. Her vocal style is shaped by training in both the Gwalior and Kirana gharanas, the synthesis that serves as the hallmark of Pt. Torviji’s distinguished musical lineage.
Tharini has performed across India and the United States at prominent venues and festivals, including the Ramaseva Mandali Trust, Sapthak, Naadabrahma Sangeet Sabha in Bangalore, Gaanabharathi in Mysore, the Philadelphia Ganesh Festival, and the Ustad Amir Khan Music Festival in California. Her music has also reached global audiences online through recorded features on the Mihir Thakore YouTube channel. Alongside her musical pursuits, Tharini is a third-year medical student at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Tejas Tope
Tejas has been learning tabla from Pt. Samir Chatterjee for over 20 years, and has additionally taken training under Ud. Zakir Hussain for 15 years. Tejas has performed globally, as a soloist and highly sought-after accompanist. Tejas Tope has also studies Pakhawaj under Pt. Mohan Shyam Sharma, Pt. Manik Munde and Shri Pratap Awad.
Mallar Goswami
Mallar Goswami is a national scholar of CCRT and a senior disciple of Pt. Gobindo Bose. He has an M.A. degree in music from Rabindra Bharati University. He has worked as a percussionist on several audio albums, web series, and films. He is currently working on Doordarshan and many private TV shows.
Abhay Kulkarni
Abhay Kulkarni started learning the art of tabla under the tutelage of his father, Vidwan Amrutesh Kulkarni and then started advanced
training under Pandit Satish Hampiholi in Bengaluru, India. He has achieved the “Alankar” (M.A. in music) from Gandharva Maha
Vidyalaya, Miraj, and the “Vidwath” exam with distinction from the Government of Karnataka, India. His accolades include the “Baala
Prathibe,” “Karnataka Kalaashri,” “Award of Excellence” by Canara Bank, and the “Prathiba Puraskaara” by Sadguru Music Academy and
many more. He also receives music scholarships from the Kannada and Culture Department and CCRT - Government of India. His album, Avarthana, a tabla jugalbandhi with Sri Amith Bhat—was launched by the stalwart musician Pandit Omkar Gulwadi under his guru Dr. Satish Hampiholi.
In addition to excelling in music, Abhay holds a Master of Engineering in Electronics and currently works as an electronics engineer at Automated Precision Inc., MD, USA.
Amod Dandawate
Amod Dandawate has been primarily trained in the Farrukhabad style of Tabla playing. He was born and brought up in Hyderabad, India, and later migrated to the USA. He was initiated into Tabla by his father Dr. Vasantrao Dandawate, a disciple of the legendary Maestro Ustad Amir Hussain Khan. He started playing Tabla at a very young age but seriously pursued the art form only after completing his Bachelors degree in Engineering. At that point, he received initial guidance and encouragement from Shafaat Khan while performing as an accompanist and then spent some time taking lessons from Ustad Zakir Hussain. Having settled in New Jersey he has been receiving advanced training, since 2001, as a disciple of Pt. Samir Chatterjee, a well known Maestro of the Farrukhabad gharana (http://www.tabla.org).
Besides performing solo Tabla, Amod has accompanied several eminent artists and keeps a busy performance schedule. Amod also hold a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering.
Shreyas Ravi
Shreyas Ravi is a senior disciple of notable sitarist Pt. Ravi Chary. He has given numerous Harmonium & keyboard Solo & Duet performances across India & USA. He has been a recipient of the prestigious Pt. Vishu Digambar Paluskar Award & Pt. Omkarnath Thakur Award. Along with a thoughtful and robust solo, he has also been regularly accompanying vocal and tabla artists on the harmonium & keyboard.