Sanghamitra Chatterjee - Vocal

Deepsankar Bhattacharjee - Sitar

Samir Chatterjee - Tabla

Come join us at the Chhandayan Center for an evening of Indian vocal music performed by Sanghamitra Chatterjee, accompanied by Chhandayan’s founder Samir Chatterjee. The concert will also be stremed on-line.

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 news papers.

Deepsankar Bhattacharjee

“Sur-Moni” Deepsankar is the fourth generation of sitarists from an enlightened musical family. He embarked on his musical journey at a tender age under the tutelage of his father,

Pandit Hara Shankar Bhattacharya and then trained under the watchful guidance of his dadaguru, Padmabhusahan Ustad Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan Saheb. He is the torch bearer of the JAFFERKHANI BAAJ, a

unique style of sitar playing invented and perfected by Ustad Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan saheb. He has performed throughout Europe and the USA as well as the Indian subcontinent. He is an empanelled Artist of ICCR and also holds a Bachelors and Masters of Computer applications.

He received a Gold Medal from Sarbobharatio Sangeeto-o-Parisad, a Scholarship from CCRT awarded by Pt.Ravi Kichlu Foundation. He earned the title of “Sur-Moni” and was awarded the Ravi Kopikar Memorial Award from the International Foundation for Fine Arts. He won the AIR Music Competition awarded by Arobindo Institute of Culture. He was awarded a National Scholarship by the Ministry of Culture. He won the classical competition organised by Vedic Heritage in New York and a Gold Medal at Harballav Compitition. He was honoured as "Malhar Manishi" by Malhar Mahostsav, Ajmeer and also was awarded Brahm Dhyanam Purashkar from Sangeet Vidyapeeth Parisad.

“Sur-Moni” Deepsankar, a young sitarist born in the year 1986, is the fourth generation sitarist of an enlightened musical family. He embarked on his musical journey at a tender age under the tutelage of his father, Pandit Hara Shankar Bhattacharya.He also trained under the watchful guidance of his dadaguru, Padmabhusahan Ustad Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan Saheb . He is the torch bearer of the JAFFERKHANI BAAJ, a unique style of sitar playing invented and perfected by Ustad Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan saheb.

Deepsankar has performed at various places in India and abroad. His performances in New York and in various cities of Austria, Italy, Belgium, Croatia, Luxembourg, CzechRepublic,

Netherlands, France, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Spain,Sweden have been highly appreciated by the cognoscenti and the commoners alike. Deepsankar has been awarded by several Gold medals and titles from various organizations all over in the world.

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 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.

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,

Hansaveena - Barun Kumar Pal
Vocal - Sanghamitra Chatterjee
Tabla - Samir Chatterjee
Tabla - Dibyarka Chatterjee

This Chhandayan Baithak Concert, presented by the Kolkata chapter of Chhandayan, will feature the unique twilight Raga Purvi-Kalyan. It will feature Barun Kumar Pal on Hansaveena, a senior disciple of Ravi Shankar. Apart from the main performance, there will also be an introductory demonstration of the raga with a song based on it performed by Smt. Sanghamitra Chatterjee. Tabla accompaniments will be provided by Dibyarka and Samir Chatterjee.

Admission - Free

Pt. Barun Kumar Pal

Pandit Barun Kumar Pal is admired all over the globe as a solo player, composer, dedicated Guru and a musician who renders his music from his soul in a spiritual level.

“He is an outstanding Hansaveena artist of the north Indian classical music”
– Pandit Ravi Shankar

Pt. Barun Kumar Pal is one of the most reputed and prominent artists of India. He is one of the foremost disciples of Bharat Ratna Pt. Ravi Shankar. Pt. Barun Kumar Pal is recognized as the pioneer in introducing the Hawaiian slide guitar to the world of Indian classical music. His distinctive playing style, many years of research in creating a powerful connection between the slide guitar and Indian Classical Music has led to the invention of a revolutionary sound which aesthetically incorporates the blend of the Veena, Sitar and Sarod.

Pt. Barun Pal shared a very special and spiritual bond with his revered guru Pt. Ravi Shankar for more than 35 yrs. Pt. Ravi Shankar cherished and recognized Barunji’s dedication and commitment towards his teachings and sentiments, following which Pt. Ravi Shankar entrusted the responsibility of the Ravi Shankar Institute of Music and Performing Arts (RIMPA), New Delhi, into the hands of Barunji, to carry forward the tradition of the Maihar gharana.

Since 1983, Pt. Barun Kumar Pal has been travelling extensively all over the world giving solo performances, music workshops, lecture demonstrations and Radio-TV interviews. Amongst the major concerts he has performed are WOMAD fest in London, Bath Festival, Pt. Ravi Shankar’s Parampara Festival in San Diego, SPIC Macay (StanFord, U.S.A.), I.I.T. Annual Fest,Ali Akbar Music College summer Festivals, Chhandayan whole night concert,Doverlane Music Festival, Haridas Sangeet Samaroha,Tansen Sangeet Sammelan, SIFAS Festival of Indian Music and Dance in Singapore. He has been awarded with several National Broadcasts of All India Radio -Doordarshan Sangeet Sammelans. He has released numerous cassettes, LP’s and CD’s worldwide. His concerts are preserved by the British National Archives. Barunji is the recipient of several honors and awards such as “Sangeet Prabhakar”, “Sangeet Ratna”, “Kal ke Kalakar”, “Allauddin Sangeet Ratna”, “Abhinav Kalakar”, “Vadya Ratan” to name a few.

Pt. Barun Kumar Pal’s contributions as a composer, music director and conductor in Indian classical music for A.I.R, Doordarshan, DD-7, and National Youth Festival are well known. He is also popularly known for having produced “Raga Symphony” and “Millennium Symphony”, and numerous choirs with young talents, with over 75 presentations including those of the Vienna Children’s Choir and the Choir of RIMPA.

Sanghamitra Chatterjee

Sanghamitra Chatterjee is one of the leading vocalists of India in the fields of light and light classical music. Gifted with a sweet and melodious voice Sanghamitra has chosen light music as her domain; this includes Adhunik (Bengali modern song), Rabindrasangeet(songs of Tagore), Nazrulgeet (songs of Nazrul), songs of Atul Prasad Sen, folk songs, Hindi Bhajans, film songs, Geet, Ghazals, etc..

She had her lessons in classical music from Pdt. Usharanjan Mukherjee and Sri Dashu Mukherjee. In light music her training has been under Sri Jatileshwar Mukherjee, Sri Ajoy Das,Sri Prasanta Chowdhury, Sri Nikhil Chatterjee and others. She is an upgraded artist of All India Radio and Indian Television. Her proficiency in Tagore songs has earned her a diploma, 'Sangit Sudhakar'.

Sanghamitra's singing is characterized by high aesthetic quality and technical brilliance. She does sensible scanning of the lyric with her original touches of embellishment to it. She adds a new dimension to the emotional contents of the songs through her highly sensitive presentation. Her voice is gifted with a quality that it touches you even before realize it. Much of her musical sensibilities have developed under the guidance of her illustrious husband, Samir Chatterjee, the famous Tabla maestro and musicologist.

Sanghamitra has performed as an individual as well as a group musician with Chhandayan, the Battery Dance Co. of NY, Kathak Ensemble of NY and at important venues like the Smithsonian Institute, Columbia University, American Museum of Natural History both in New York and Washington, Lotus Fine Arts Center, Kansas University,Poland, Bahamas, the whole of India and Sri Lanka. She also has featured in a CD with Jerry Garcia as the guest artist.

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.

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.

Sanghamitra Chatterjee - Vocal
Dibyarka Chatterjee - Tabla
Xander Naylor - Guitar
Manoj Baruah - Violin

The Baithak concert series is dedicated to the fond memories of Mr. Chandrakant Rao.

Sanghamitra Chatterjee

Sanghamitra Chatterjee is one of the leading vocalists of India in the fields of light and light classical music. Gifted with a sweet and melodious voice Sanghamitra has chosen light music as her domain; this includes Adhunik (Bengali modern song), Rabindrasangeet(songs of Tagore), Nazrulgeet (songs of Nazrul), songs of Atul Prasad Sen, folk songs, Hindi Bhajans, film songs, Geet, Ghazals, etc..

She had her lessons in classical music from Pdt. Usharanjan Mukherjee and Sri Dashu Mukherjee. In light music her training has been under Sri Jatileshwar Mukherjee, Sri Ajoy Das,Sri Prasanta Chowdhury, Sri Nikhil Chatterjee and others. She is an upgraded artist of All India Radio and Indian Television. Her proficiency in Tagore songs has earned her a diploma, 'Sangit Sudhakar'.

Sanghamitra's singing is characterized by high aesthetic quality and technical brilliance. She does sensible scanning of the lyric with her original touches of embellishment to it. She adds a new dimension to the emotional contents of the songs through her highly sensitive presentation. Her voice is gifted with a quality that it touches you even before realize it. Much of her musical sensibilities have developed under the guidance of her illustrious husband, Samir Chatterjee, the famous Tabla maestro and musicologist.

Sanghamitra has performed as an individual as well as a group musician with Chhandayan, the Battery Dance Co. of NY, Kathak Ensemble of NY and at important venues like the Smithsonian Institute, Columbia University, American Museum of Natural History both in New York and Washington, Lotus Fine Arts Center, Kansas University,Poland, Bahamas, the whole of India and Sri Lanka. She also has featured in a CD with Jerry Garcia as the guest artist.

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.

Xander Naylor

Since relocating to New York City, native son Xander Naylor has become increasingly known in experimental circles for ear-opening forays with his eponymous, free-jazz trio. On his solo debut, Notes, the son of noted Vermont secessionist Thomas Naylor applies a similarly unchained approach, fleshing out humble, cyclical instrumental sketches with both caution and whimsy. The result, while even less accessible than his previous trio work, is nonetheless fascinating, and it reveals a genuinely independent and curious mind.

Guitarist Xander Naylor is exploding onto the scene with his work as a solo artist, composer and leader of Xander Naylor Sound Machine. Spinning through a diverse set of scenes, he has found homes in free improv, indie rock, experimental jazz and, through his years of study with tabla maestro Samir Chatterjee, North Indian music. His latest solo album, Arc, creates a stimulating mash-up that is both startling and comforting in today's tumultuous world.

The Xander Naylor Sound Machine, built of guitar, sax, bass, and drum, employs modern technique in revolutionizing jazz and post-rock grooves. Naylor’s work uses myriad rhythmic influences that are threaded throughout to solidly bond the machine’s language of sound. Executed by an all-star group of musicians who perform all over the world, XNSM supplies a power surge of cohesive sound, allowing you to live fully in the moment and embrace what is possible.

Manoj Baruah

Manoj Baruah is one of most well known violinists in field of classical and folk music of India. He started learning violin at the age of 10 from his older brother Deepak Baruah.  Since 1995 Manoj has been receiving guidance in classical music under the tutelage of violin maestra Prof. Sisirkona Dharchoudhury. Simultaneously, he completed a Master Degree from Rabindra Bharti University  of Kolkata. Manoj is a regular performer on All India Radio and Doordashan TV, and has toured all over India. In 1997 he received a prestigious national scholarship awarded to him by the Govt. of India. Since 2004 he has been touring all over Europe for performances in U.K., Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain, Holland, Denmark, Italy and Belgium; this is his first tour of the US.

Chhandayan Dewali Celebration - Social Event with Food and Music

Our celebration will feature a musical presentations:

Instrumental ensemble featuring Vaughn Stoffey (guitar), Steven Crammer (tabla) and Lily Stern (Bass)

Vocal ensemble directed by Sanghamitra Chatterjee, featuring Meghan Pasricha, Sharda Lowtan, Susan Maxwell, Sofia Ahmed, Aishani Singh and Noelina Arciniegas. Guitar Accompaniment by Xander Naylor.

Also featuring a Vocal Performance by Aratrika Dey

Aratrika Dey

Aratrika was born to music-loving parents who nurtured her interest from an early age. She began her training in Kolkata with Srimati Sukla Nag. Since moving to New Jersey with her parents, Aratrika has continued under the tutelage of Srimati Mitali Banerjee Bhawmik. She has won first place in several music competitions, the most notable of which is the prestigious “SaReGaMaPa Li’l Champs, NA, 2015”, hosted by the South-Asian television channel Zee TV.

Sanghamitra Chatterjee

Sanghamitra Chatterjee is one of the leading vocalists of India in the fields of light and light classical music. Gifted with a sweet and melodious voice Sanghamitra has chosen light music as her domain; this includes Adhunik (Bengali modern song), Rabindrasangeet(songs of Tagore), Nazrulgeet (songs of Nazrul), songs of Atul Prasad Sen, folk songs, Hindi Bhajans, film songs, Geet, Ghazals, etc..

She had her lessons in classical music from Pdt. Usharanjan Mukherjee and Sri Dashu Mukherjee. In light music her training has been under Sri Jatileshwar Mukherjee, Sri Ajoy Das,Sri Prasanta Chowdhury, Sri Nikhil Chatterjee and others. She is an upgraded artist of All India Radio and Indian Television. Her proficiency in Tagore songs has earned her a diploma, 'Sangit Sudhakar'.
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Sanghamitra's singing is characterized by high aesthetic quality and technical brilliance. She does sensible scanning of the lyric with her original touches of embellishment to it. She adds a new dimension to the emotional contents of the songs through her highly sensitive presentation. Her voice is gifted with a quality that it touches you even before realize it. Much of her musical sensibilities have developed under the guidance of her illustrious husband, Samir Chatterjee, the famous Tabla maestro and musicologist.

Sanghamitra has performed as an individual as well as a group musician with Chhandayan, the Battery Dance Co. of NY, Kathak Ensemble of NY and at important venues like the Smithsonian Institute, Columbia University, American Museum of Natural History both in New York and Washington, Lotus Fine Arts Center, Kansas University,Poland, Bahamas, the whole of India and Sri Lanka. She also has featured in a CD with Jerry Garcia as the guest artist.

In these workshop Sanghamitra will teach Bhajan (devotional song) and Film or Popular Song in Hindi or regional languages. She will also go through some warm-up exercises, particularly beneficial to the songs.    

This event is partially sponsored by the New York Council on the Arts: