Vocal - Piu Mukherjee
Tabla - Dibyarka Chatterjee
Harmonium - TBD
Come Join us at the Chhandayan Center for an evening Vocal Concert performed by Piu Mukherjee, accompanied by Dibyarka Chatterjee on Tabla. The performance will also be streamed live.
Piu Mukherjee
Piu Mukherjee was born in Howrah, West Bengal. She took her first strides towards the arena of music holding the able hands of her Mother Smt. Pradipta Mukherjee and her grandfather Late Bireswar Mukherjee, who himself was a disciple of Sangeet Samrat Vishmadev Chatterjee. Later she was guided on the melodious pathway of music by Prof. Nihar Ranjan Bandopadhyay, the former Head of the Department of vocal music at the Rabindra Bharati University. Soon, she received attention and guidance from the eminent Sangeet Samragnyee Padmabibhushan Smt. Girija Devi under whom she did her rigorous Riyaaz (daily practice). Apart from being adjudged the First Class First in M.A. (Vocal Music) from Rabindra Bharati University she has also completed her Post Graduation in Islamic History & Culture and B.Ed. from University of Calcutta.
Within a very short span of time her dedication and talent were recognized in numerous professional performance arena where she was adjudged the best Vocalist in Khayal & Thumri. These include Pashchim Banga Rajya Sangeet Academy, Salt Lake Cultural Association, Pt. Ravi Kichlu Foundation, Dover Lane, and many other distinguished platforms. She won the Pt. Krishna Kumar Ganguly (Natu Babu) Award for Kheyal in 1999 which was soon followed by her being placed 1st in Thumri / Dadra / Tappa in All India Radio Competition. In 2001 she proved her determination once again by winning the National Scholarship from Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Govt of India. In 2017 she has been awarded by Girija Devi Puraskar (Vikshit Kalakar) in All India Puravang Gayaki Utsav, New Delhi.
Piu Mukherjee has been fortunate enough to share the stage with Smt. Girija Devi first in Benaras Utsav held in Mumbai which was later released in a VCD format. She has also released a CD of her live performance in Sangeet Piyasi, Kolkata released by Bihaan Music in 2005. Such was her dedication that she accompanied the great Maestro Smt. Girija Devi at noted stages like Gulap Bari, Dovar Lane Music Conference, Sawai Gandharv Sangeet Mahotsav, Sankat Mochan & in many music festivals all over India.
Apart from that she has given outstanding solo performances in BPACON Music Festival, USA; Biswa Banga Sangeet Sanmelan; Sangeet Piyasi ; Pt. Ravi Kichlu Foundation ; Shankhri Begum Memorial Trust and in lot more prestigious concerts all over India and abroad. She has also participated in one of the leading musical reality shows “Zee Bangla Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, 2015-16” and proved herself as a versatile performer in the field of Music.
Adding flavour to her musical journey “Kashi Katha” a Classical-Semi Classical Music Album of Puravang style of Gayaki, released by Times Music has won the hearts of all music lovers.
Piu is a regular artist of Khayal, Thumri, Dadra and Tappa in All India Radio, Kolkata. She is also a regular performer on all the leading regional television channels as well as in various Broadcasting media. She has enthralled the audience with her vocal renditions many a time by teaming up on stage with Pt. Tanmay Bose during the live performances of Taal tantra. A passion for playback singing has seen her working regularly with Pt. Bikram Bose, Debojyoti Mishra and Joy Sarkar on various noteworthy projects.
Anchors can attract the viewers and keep them glued to a given event or program. Piu, from a very young age has developed her oratory skills and has practiced the same to perfection. She has a charming personality and continues to host shows for Kolkata Doordarshan. This is yet another facet of her long array of achievements. Today—she is carrying forward the legacy of Hindustani Classical & Semi Classical Music tradition with profound honesty and dignity.
Dibyarka Chatterjee
Dibyarka Chatterjee is a young Tabla player from the Farrukhabad Gharana, and is the son and disciple of Pt. Samir Chatterjee. Having grown up in a musical environment, his natural inclination towards Tabla became apparent early in his childhood. At the age of five he was initiated by his father into the ancient system of pedagogy called the guru-shishya parampara (master-disciple tradition).
Dibyarka was born in Kolkata, where even in his childhood he was already performing in concerts as well as on Akaashbani Kolkata's Children's Section (National Radio - Kolkata Station). At the age of ten he moved to New York City with his family; since then he has continued to perform regularly with both Indian and Western music. Dibyarka has had the honor and privilege of performing with renowned musicians like Pandit Jasraj, Pdt. Budhhadev DasGupta, Pta. Lakshmi Shankar, Utd. Shujaat Khan, Pta. Joya Biswas, Utd. Mashkoor Ali Khan, Pdt. Ramesh Mishra, Pta. Shubhra Guha, Pta. Tripti Mukherjee, Pdt. Suman Ghosh to name only a few.
He has collaborated in world music projects with groups like the Dance Theater of Harlem (in 'South African Suite'), the Battery Dance Co. (in “Songs of Tagore”), and with fusion musician/composers like Salman Ahmad (Junoon), Douglas Cuomo, John McDowell (on the award-winning documentary “A Son’s Sacrifice”), Gary Lucas & Najma Akhtar (on their collaborative album "Rishte") etc. He has composed music for, and performed in, two off-Broadway theatrical productions (Nuraldeen's Lifetime & Lee/gendary). He has also performed in many prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall, the United Nations General Assembly, Lincoln Center & Asia Society in NYC, Place des Arts (Montreal), the Google Amphitheater (Palo Alto), Salt Lake Music Conference (Kolkata, India), Pratishruti Festival (Bhopal, India) etc. He has also appeared on numerous radio shows such as The Leonard Lopate Show and New Sounds on NPR, Raag Aur Taal on WKCR etc.
Dibyarka has a Masters in Fine Arts from Goddard College (VT). His academic pursuits are mainly focused on the history, theory, and philosophy of Indian Music. As a guest lecturer, Dibyarka has conducted classes and lecture demonstrations at numerous institutions such as Columbia University, Dartmouth College, New York University, Manhattan School of Music etc. He also teaches Tabla classes regularly at various institutions and locations in NY & NJ.