Saturday, October 29, 2011

R.I.P....Pandit Kashinath Mukherjee.

Pandit Kashinath Mukherjee
a profoundly accomplished Hindustani Classical instrumentalist of the Etawah Gharana, has successfully kept aloft the taalim of the great Ustad Vilayat Khan. He has enthralled veterans, amateurs and the uninitiated alike over the years with the sheer merit, dexterity and the irresistible appeal and force of his music.

Kashinath Mukherjee was born in Kolkata into an aristocratic family with a rich cultural heritage. Inspired by his father Shital Chandra Mukherjee, a learned Dhrupad exponent, Kashinath trained under Srinivas Nag (a disciple of Ustad Enayet Khan) for twelve years. His elder brother, the late Hrishikesh Mukherjee, who went on to become a renowned filmmaker, was also a student of Srinivas Nag, learning Esraj.

After the passing away of his guru, he continued his taalim under the legendary Ustad Vilayat Khan, son of Enayat Khan. For the five years that he remained with the Ustad, he kept away completely from public appearances, as directed by his master. His insatiable hunger for learning later led him to luminous maestros such as Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Keramatullah Khan and Ustad Amir Khan. He also learned from Amir Khan until the latter`s death.

Pandit Mukherjee has participated in major concerts both at home and abroad. He is the recipient of the ITC Award among others. 

Ramprapanna Bhattacharya and Abhik Mukherjee are among his most prominent disciples. 

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Concert! Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia in NYC. Saturday October 22, 5pm

SATURDAY OCTOBER 22 @ 5PM

The Association for India's Development (NYC) presents genius flautist 
Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia in NYC! 

Accompanied by Subhankar Banerjee on the Tabla & Jay Gandhi on Flute.

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia is an internationally renowned exponent of the bansuri, or bamboo flute. His musical career has spanned 50 years, with over 100 albums released. He has been awarded the National Award of the Sangeet Natak Academy (1984), the Konark Samman (1992), the Padma Bhushan (1992), the Yash Bharati Sanman (1994), Rajiv Gandhi Ekta Award (1998), Padma Vibhushan (2000), Hafeez Ali Khan Award (2000), Dinanath Mangeshkar Award (2000), “Orders des Arts et Lettres” (Knight Of The Order Of Arts & Letters, 2009), Nada Vidya Bharati (2010) and honorary doctorates from North Orissa University and IIT Kharagpur (2010). He was invited to perform at Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies in Oslo and his music, along with Ravi Shankarji's, was played in outer space by Kalpana Chawla.

Subhankar Banerjee will be accompanying him on the tabla. A prolific musician, he has received widespread recognition.A classical tabla maestro of the highest order, his consistently brilliant and exciting performances have not only established him as a national treasure, but gained him worldwide fame.
Jay Gandhi, a senior student of Panditji, will accompany him on the flute. Jay, who is a graduate of the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, has devoted himself to the study of both American jazz and the deepest aspects of Hindustani classical music. He splits his time between New York City and Mumbai.

New York Society for Ethical Culture
2 West 64 Street (CPW/Columbus), NYC
Buy TICKETS now! ($35 to $150)
Further 10% off for groups of 10 or more! More info: http://hpcconcert.info/
ALL PROCEEDS SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTAL PROJECTS IN INDIA.

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