Vocal - Sanghamitra Chatterjee

Tabla - Samir Chatterjee

Join us for an evening of semi-classical Indian singing. The performance will also be streamed live

Sanghamitra Chatterjee

Sanghamitra Chatterjee is a versatile singer of a wide variety of Indian songs from different genres. Her array of repertoire includes Bhajan, Ghazal, Dadra, film songs, Rabindra Sangeet (songs of Tagore), Adhunik (modern) Bengali songs, Nazrulgeeti and different types of folk and regional songs in different languages.

She had her lessons in classical singing from Pdt. Usharanjan Mukherjee and Sri Dashu Mukherjee. In non-classical music her training has been under Jatileshwar Mukherjee, Ajoy Das, Prasanta Chowdhury, Nikhil Chatterjee and others. She is an upgraded artist of the national radio and television of India. Her proficiency in Tagore songs has earned her the Sangeet Sudhakar diploma.

Sanghamitra's singing is characterized by high aesthetic quality and technical brilliance. Her sensible scanning of lyric with rendered with her original touches of embellishments, her highly sensitive and involved presentation not only brings out the inner essence of the songs she presents, but also adds a new dimension to their emotional contents. Her voice is gifted with a natural mellifluous quality which inevitably touches her audience. Much of her musical sensibilities have developed under the guidance and influence of her illustrious husband Samir Chatterjee, a musician of outstanding caliber and repute.

Sanghamitra Chatterjee is not only known for her excellence as a solo performer, she has also contributed to several groups such as the Chhandayan ensemble in their productions of Indo-Flame and Nacho-Nacho (blend of Indian and Flamenco dance and music), Dawn to Dusk and Beyond and World Percussion Ensemble; with the Battery Dance Co. of NY in production of Songs of Tagore; with the Kathak Ensemble of NY in Ka-Tap (Kathak and Tap dancing), with Ethos Percussions in Masters of Indian Music series. She has performed in many important places and festivals in the United States such as the Smithsonian Institute, Columbia University, American Museum of Natural History in New York and Washington, DC, Symphony Space in NYC, Wortham Center in Houston, Lotus Music and Dance, Kansas University, Monadnock Festival in Peterborough, New Hampshire, Sun Valley in Idaho, University of South Florida in Tampa etc. Apart from her homeland India and the United States she has also performed in Sri Lanka, Poland, The Bahamas and Kazakhstan.

She has presented master classes at Manhattan School of Music, Raritan Community College and also done several school performances in New York City. Her published recordings in CDs and cassettes are treasured by her audience. Her scholarly contribution includes music reviews to Indian newspapers.

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 Md. 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, 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,