Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri
Swapan
Chaudhuri is a phenomenon in the arena of Indian classical music
. It was his beloved parents, through their own passion for music,
who initiated his formal musical training and inspired him in
the field of tabla, paving the path that would eventually lead
him to virtuosity.
Swapan
Chaudhury started tabla learning at the age of five. He bases
his style on the intensive training he received from his Guru,
Pandit Santosh Krishna Biswas of Calcutta, the eminent exponent
of the Lucknow Gharana. He holds a master's degree in music and
has been conferred honors for his distinguished contributions
in the field tabla by the government of India and different musical
institutions. He also holds a degree in economics from Jadhavpur
University, Calcutta.
Swapan's
music is the spontaneous expression of powerful emotions and
his deep knowledge of the tabla. His ingenuity has ushered in
a purely new style of tabla playing. It is undoubtedly through
his clarity and elegance of performance both as an accompanist
and as a soloist that he has achieved such fame throughout the
world as a true master of tabla.
As
a soloist and accompanist Swapan has traveled throughout Europe,
North and South America, and Asia accompanying maestros such
as Pandit Ravi Shankar , Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, the late Nikhil
Banerjee, Ustad Amir Khan, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ustad Amjad Ali
Khan, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Jasraj, Dr. Balamurli Krishna,
and other eminent artists. In addition, he has produced numerics
recordings, including his own tabla solo and video tapes, and
has appeared extensively on television and radio. Swapan's music
reaches beyond the scope of classical music to include performances
and recordings with musicians such as L. Shankar, John Handy,
and the African drum master, Malenga. He has participated in
many international music festivals such as Bath, Perth, Sydney,
Tokyo, San Francisco, Kuala Lampur, Stuttgart, and Berlin. He
has composed for several percussion ensembles which have received
much appreciation from both western as well as Indian audience.
Swapan
Chaudhuri is the director of percussion at the Ali Akbar School
of Music in San Rafael, California and in Basle, Switzerland
. He is also a member of the teaching staff at the California
Institute of the Arts , Valencia, California.
Sanjukta
Sen
Inheriting
her musical talent from her father, Sanjukta began her vocal
training at the age of nine. Raised in Jaipur, a city with rich
heritage of dance and music, she started her public performance
at the age of twelve and won several awards.
Sanjukta
Sen is disciple of Padma Bhushan Smt. Girija Devi of Benaras
Gharana and continuing to receive her guidance from her illustrious
guru. Smt. Girija Devi is not only one of the leading vocalist
in the dominant classical genre known as Khayal, but also in
the lighter forms of north Indian classical music including Thumri,
Dadra, Tappa, Hori, Chaiti and Kajri.
Sanjukta
obtained her Bachelors and higher degrees in Hindustani classical
vocal music from the University of Rajasthan and the University
of Delhi, and further perused her intense musical training in
Kolkata from late Jog Maya Banerjee, an able disciple of Trapada
Chakraborty of Kirana Gharana.
Sanjukta
has a rich voice and eloquent style of music rendering and carries
with her a diverse treasure of Hindustani classical and light
classical music forms. Composer, performer and teacher, Sanjukta
has performed in India as well as in USA and has also appeared
in several TV and radio programs in the USA. She has performed
at several occasions and places such as American Museum of Natural
History, World Music Concert at Hunter college, New York, American
Express, Diwali Mela at the South Street Seaport, 25 th Anniversary
Celebration of LaGuardia Community College accompanied by Pandit
Swapan Chaudhuri and Pandit Ramesh Misra, 50 th martyrdom day
of Mahatma Gandhi and 30 th martyrdom day of Martin Luther King
at United Nation, New York, 50 th Independence day celebration
at Indian Consulate, World Life Conservation Society on behalf
of Department of Tourism, Government of India, and Najrul Manch
in Kolkatta, India. Also composed and presented music along with
her students in presence of Honorable Prime Minister of India
Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Honorable Home Minister of India Shri
L.K.Advani and many occations in Indian cosulate, NY.
She
is a dedicated music teacher and has been teaching for more than
Fifteen years at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, USA. She also teaches
at Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, New York, as well as at Queens,
New York. Through her lessons, she has introduced Indian Classical
Music to many western musicians. Sanjukta conducted several music
workshops in New York and New Jersey. She has released an album
of Devotional songs.
Her
powerful voice touches the heart of every listener. She is a
devoted musician of high caliber. She offers quality music not
only through her performance but also through teaching, composition
and music production.
Pandit Ramesh Mishra
A
glaring example of total dedication, depth and maturity, Pandit
Ramesh Mishra is a phenomenon in the field of Indian classical
Music.
Mastering
over one of the most difficult unique string instruments ‘ Sarangi’,
Ramesh Mishra is today acclaimed as an outstanding artist of
India. Son of great sarangi maestro Pt. Ramnath Mishra, Ramesh
started his initial intensive training at very tender age from
his father and acquired further knowldge and training from finest
musicians of Benaras Gharana Pandit Hanuman Prasad Mishra and
late Pandit Gopal Mishra. Presently Ramesh is under the tutelage
of the legendary maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar.
Ramesh’s
high aesthetic sense, and artistic sensibilities along with his
inner soft nature gave recognition both in home and aboard as
an eminent soloist as well as an adept accompanist. His perfect
restrained tuneful music enthralled the global audience. Besides
a recipient of India’s most prestigious Sangeet Natak Award,
Pt. Ramesh Mishra has also been honored with Geetanjali, Uttam,
Dishari Awards from different musical organizations.
In
1959 Ramesh was sent as a cultural delegate to Pakistan by late
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India. Both
as soloist and accompanist, Pandit Ramesh Mishra traveled all
over the world accompanying internationally reputed artists.
In
addition he has produced numerous recordings including his own
solo records and earned a niche in the hearts of millions of
music lovers.
Pandit
Ramesh Mishra is among very few high ranking and gifted artists of
India whose music takes the audience to a divine world, a world of
pure music.
