Ajoy Chakrabarty

The genius of Ajoy Chakrabarty requires no introduction. This artiste extraordinary, is the recipient of laurels, both in academics and in the world of music. Initiated into music by his father Shri Ajit Chakrabarty and later trained under great teachers like Kanaidas Bairagi, Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh and Munawar Ali Khan, his list of firsts in monumental. To name but a few : he is the first recipient of the “Kumar Gandharva Award”, the most prestigious National award for the best musician of India under forty-five years; he is the first classical vocalist of India to have received the Presidents’s award for the best male playback singer in 1990; he is the first Fellow to have received a Gold Medal from the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata and also the first Indian classical vocalist who was invited to perform by the Government of Pakistan. He is the first Indian classical vocalist who was invited by the BBC for a concert to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of India’s independence.

Ajoy joined ITC-SRA in 1978 as its first scholar and later went on to become one of the youngest gurus of this academy, a post that he still holds.

Ajoy has been proving sedulously and with success that Indian classical music if understood and practiced properly can contribute to international amity and understanding. Though his innumerable albums and CDs published all over the world and his extensive musical tours, he has spanned the cultural gulf between India and the West, endearing him even to those listeners who do not understand the language of the lyrics..

Aniruddha Bhattacharya, Past Scholar - Vocal

Born in 1971, Aniruddha was initiated into music by his mother Smt. Gouri Bhattacharya, one of the very first disciples of Pt.A.Kanan and an outstanding vocalist herself. His formal training started under Pandit A Kanan and Smt Malavika Kanan. He later joined ITC SRA as a general student in 1990 and went on to become a scholar between 1994 and 2001, training under Pandit Kanan. Gifted with a mellifluous and emotive voice, Aniruddha is held in high esteem by his listeners. An “A” grade AIR artiste, Aniruddha has given quite a few recitals organised by connoisseurs across India, featuring along with stalwarts of classical music. Accolades have come wherever he has performed. The Sur Singer Sansad of Mumbai awarded him the coveted “Surmani” title in June 1998. Aniruddha has successfully toured the USA and France and has performed at The Darbar Festival, London in April 2009. This graduate from Calcutta university with zoology honours had his first CD release in early 2009.

Debashish Bhattacharya

Born in Kolkata in 1963 to a family with a long musical lineage, Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya was initiated into Indian classical singing, but was drawn to the guitar. For ten years, he became a disciple and student of Brij Bhushan Kabra, the father of Indian classical guitar, and then also trained under Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, the eminent Indian vocalist. He has also studied with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. His debut concert at the age of four, broadcast by All India Radio, Calcutta, was blessed by the late Ustad Keramatullah Khan of Farukhabad Gharana who also accompanied him on the Tabla. In his teens, he advanced his unique style of playing guitar and at twenty, Debashish received the President's Award for winning the National Music competition of AIR. While still in his thirties, Debashish was awarded the Top Grade at AIR.

His Hindustani Slide Guitar, which he calls the Chaturangui is a completely new instrument: by modifying and adding strings to the western guitar, Debashish has been able to create uniquely Indian sounds and techniques. Debashish developed his innovative twenty-four-string Hindustani Slide Guitar after years of research and experience. He has introduced a new finger style as well as playing style combining thumb and index finger. This produces finest bol variety, fastest Taanas, and strongest Jhala, which were technically impossible on a slide guitar earlier. These technical innovations, combined with his incredible talent and discipline, sets him apart from other artists, both on the international circuit and among Indian musicians who play Indian music on western instruments. As an innovative slide guitarist he has already set a new trend among guitarists.

He has performed with renowned musicians of the world :Ustad Zakir Hussain, John Mclaughlin and great musicians like Martin Simpson, Bob Brozman, Rene Lacaille, Takashi Hiriyasu and many others. He has recorded with labels from around the world. The performer in Debashish has a rare quality of communicating with each one of his listeners through his instrument in every performance. His uncanny sense of musical understanding has established him as a recording artiste whose perfect virtuosity matches all categories of music be it Indian, or any kind of Western classical, jazz, blues, folk or Nue Music.

As a composer, Debashish`s faith lies in Universal Music. A dedicated Guru and pathfinder Debashish has written a syllabus, the first of its kind, on Indian Classical Guitar, which includes technical terminologies and abbreviations.

As an inventor, Debashish is perhaps a phenomenon in the history of World Music and Indian Classical Music having created a trinity of slide guitars, christened Chaturangui, Gandharvi and Anandi. His work has earned him the President of India award in 1984, the Asiatic Society Gold Medal in 2005 and BBC Planet Award for World Music in 2007.

Malini Rajurkar

One of the foremost exponents of Gwalior Gharana, Malini Rajurkar is well known both to the common listener and to the connoisseur. Trained by her illustrious father-in-law, Pandit Govindrao Rajurkar, she is a singer of unique distinction..

In addition to her B. A. from University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, Malini’s birth place, she holds the degree of ‘Sangeet Nipun’ of the college of Music, Ajmer. She is also a Scholar of Sangeet Natak Academy, Jodhpur (Rajasthan)..

Settled in Hyderabad for over 40 years since the 1970s, her training in her gurus` style has rooted Malini in the Gwalior approach. However, she has felt free to adopt aspects of other styles to create her own. She has been influenced by the likes of K.G.Ginde and Jitendra Abhisheki and by her fondness for the idiosyncratic vocalism of Kumar Gandharva. Malini Rajurkar sings khayal in the Kirana style and is an acknowledged master of tappa.

Though not a frequent performer, Malini has, over the years, become a name to reckon with. Malini’s highly cultivated voice, her precision, use of ‘taan’ patterns, command over rhythm, purity of grammar, imaginative content and aesthetic and authentic approach to each raga have endeared her to thousands of admirers in India and abroad. All India Radio and Doordarshan have included her in their list of top ranking artistes.


Her concert career started in 1964, drawing the connoisseur rather than the glitz seeker. Ever since, she has been a regular on the Indian concert circuit. She has also extensively toured in the United States, Canada, U.K. and countries of Middle East where she is immensely popular. She has received several awards, including the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2001. Malini Rajurkar, in essence is a connoisseur`s delight.

Sameehan Kashalkar

Sameehan U Kashalkar is the son and disciple of renowned vocalist, Ulhas Kashalkar. Born in a family steeped in melody and music, Sameehan is receiving authentic ‘talim’ from his celebrated father. Presently, he is an “A” grade scholar at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata. He is also undergoing Thumri-Dadra training from the prima donna of Benaras tradition Vidushi Girija Devi.

Sameehan's debut performance at Aundh Mahotsav (near Pune) at the age of 13, where he was accompanied on the tabla by Pt Suresh Talwalkar, won him many accolades. He has also performed at the prestigious National Gallery of Australia in the National Multicultural Festival held at Canberra along with his father.

Tejendra Narayan Majumdar

One of the best-known sarod players of the present generation, Pandit Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, has long achieved that order of excellence and popular acceptability, which ensure one's place in posterity. Early initiation into music by his grandfather, Late Bibhuti Ranjan Majumdar and later his father, Late Ranjan Majumdar, nurtured Tejendra's considerable talent. Vocal and rhythm training under Late Pandit Amaresh Chowdhury and Sri Anil Palit further ensured a holistic musical development in him. Tejendra was then accepted by Late Ustad Bahadur Khan as his disciple. 

Eighteen years of intensive study under him matured his talent into a true genius. Recognition of it came in 1981, when he stood first in the All India Radio Music Competition and was awarded the President's Gold Medal and the Pandit D.V.Paluskar award. After the untimely demise of his guru, he studied under Late Sri Ajay Sinha Roy and then under one of the Legends of Indian Music – Swar-Samrat Late Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, until his demise. One of the best equipped musicians to carry on the great Senia Maihar mantle, Tejendra combines the intellectual density and technical virtuosity of his gharana, with an extraordinary tone, touch and an ambient melody which transcends any qualification. Above all, he has in abundant measure, that indescribable ability to take the listeners along with him - the rare quality that is the hallmark of a genius. He is also a Top Grade artist of A.I.R and Doordarshan.

Pandit Tejendra Narayan Majumdar's brilliance and popularity as a classical artiste has not dimmed his interest in composing, arranging and experimenting in other areas of music. From composing the background score of meaningful films to musical ballets - Tejendra is always ready to take on any musical challenge.

Most of his time is, however, taken up in touring the country and abroad, presenting innumerable concerts, workshops, lecture demonstrations, doing recordings and taking up teaching assignments. Within the country he is a regular artiste in the premiere concert circuit, while in Europe, Canada and in the United States, his popularity has ensured his regular representation in some of the most prestigious concerts. He is also very popular in the Asian countries like U.A.E., Japan and Bangladesh.

Brajeshwar Mukherjee

Born at Burdwan on March 11, 1984, Brajeshwar Mukherjee was initiated by his parents and later learnt from Shri Hara Kumar Chatterjee and Shri Asit Roy. He was then accepted as a disciple by Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty and continues to train under him at ITC-SRA, where he is a scholar since May 2009. In 2005 he came first in the B.A Examination in music from Calcutta University and received the “Dhananjay Bhattacharya Award”.

Since 2000 he has been teaching at Shrutinandan, the music school established by Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty. Since 2003 he has accompanied his Guru on the harmonium or provided vocal support in concerts in different parts of India as well as USA, Canada, UK and Middle East. A B-High graded artist of All India Radio, he had earlier won the Govt. of India’s National Scholarship. In 2009 he stood 1st Class 2nd in the Masters degree in Music from Calcutta University.

D.S.R.Murthy

Mridangam Artist, D.S.R.Murthy is an ‘A’ Top graded artist of A.I.R and Doordarshan. A disciple of Sri. K.Sudershana Chary, Dr. Yella Venkateswara Rao and Sri. P.S.Parameswaran, he has performed in more than 10,000 concerts. An M.Tech (IT) in computers and a software consultant to boot, he has received many awards and titles like Laya Mani, Mridanga Samrat, Mridanga Marthanda etc. He has accompanied almost all the stalwarts in Carnatic music and has toured extensively

Jyoti Goho

Inspired by his mother’s melodious voice, Jyoti Goho developed a keen interest in music, which was carefully nurtured by his parents. He was trained in harmonium playing by Shri Deb Kumar Banerjee. He also has profound knowledge of vocal music in which his mentors were Sanat Banerjee, Biren Bose and Pandit A. Kanan. He is thus able to heighten the mood and spirit of any performance. Known for his sensitive playing and appropriate embellishments, his supportive role has been acknowledged by maestros like Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Shri Jyoti Goho has performed with all the great vocalists of Hindustani classical music, appearing at the major music conferences in India and abroad. He is currently a faculty member of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy.

Peri Sreerama Murthy

Born in a family of musicians at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, Peri Sreerama Murthy was a child prodigy in the Violin. Encouraged by his father and Guru Sri Peri Subba Rao to pursue and master the art, Peri Sreerama Murthy gave his maiden concert at the age of 9 at the Government college of Music and Dance at Hyderabad. He won a number of prizes in various music competitions. Way back in 1978 he won the best junior accompanist award in the Music Academy.

Known for the ease and dexterity with which he produces the Raga bhava and also his spontaneous rhythm patterns which keep the audience spell bound, he has accompanied stalwarts of Carnatic music including the likes of Sripada Pinakapani, Dr. Balamuralikrishna, T.N. Seshagopalan, Mandolin Srinivas, Ravi Kiran, Sudha Raghunath, Hyderabad Brothers and Malladi Brothers. He has been an accompanist during the December Music Season at Chennai since as far back as 1989 and has received many Awards from various popular sabhas for his worthy performances. His awards include the prestigious “Raja Annamalai Chettiear” by the Music Academy in 1992. He has toured widely all over the world and is an ‘A’ Top Grade Violinist of A.I.R. He has also participated in several A.I.R. and T.V. National Programmes.

He is, at present, working as a Senior Lecturer in the Government College of Music and Dance, Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Samar Saha

For years now, Pandit Samar Saha has been widely known for his dexterous tabla playing and rare musicianship. With a brilliant sense of accompaniment he contributes immensely to any raag sangeet performance. Samar Saha was initially trained by his father Shri Sudhangshu Bhusan Saha and elder brother Shri Tarak Saha. Later he received extensive talim from Shri Satchidananda Goswami and Shri Krishna Kumar Ganguly (Natu Babu) of the Benaras gharana. A much sought-after artist today, he has played with the greatest stalwarts of Hindustani music and has participated in all the prestigious music festivals in India and overseas. Pandit Samar Saha is a faculty member of ITC-SRA.

Subhankar Banerjee

Subhankar Banerjee, when he was five, was placed under the tutelage of Shri Swapan Shib, a Tabla artist of Farukhabad Tabla gharana. Over the years he has imbibed the baaj of other gharanas from reputed maestros. He received awards and gold medals from celebrities like Satyajit Ray, Pandit Ravi Shankar as well as the President of India. In addition to being a reputed soloist, Subhankar has been an accompanist of prominent celebrities like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma and Pandit Jasraj. He has frequently performed at famous venues all over India and in UK, USA, Australia, Africa, Japan, Middle East and all over Europe, as also in South America and South Africa.

Surendra Bharathi

Surendra Bharathi is a well known accompanying artist from Hyderabad. He revels in the ‘gaayaki’ style of Harmonium playing which blends harmoniously with vocal music.

He had his initial training under Late Pt.Vasudev Rao Lasinkar. He has learnt and continues to train in Hindustani vocal music from Shri Vajendra Ashrit. He has accompanied many leading vocalists, notable among them being Pt. Jasraj, Kishori Amonkar, Prabha Atre, Malini Rajurkar, Rajan Sajan Mishra, Late Gangubai Hangal, Late Mallikarjun Mansur, Late Basavraj Rajguru and also Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar and Pt Ajoy Chakrabarty of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy.

Suhas Shastri

Suhas Shastri is a B-high graded Artiste of All India Radio, Hyderabad. He has been teaching since 1985 in various music institutions in Hyderabad and presently teaches at the Vasavi College of Music and Dance, Hyderabad. He has performed in numerous music festivals of repute and has accompanied eminent artistes like Pt. Jasraj, Pt. Rajan & Sajan Mishra, Pt. Vinayak Torvi, Smt. Malini Rajurkar and Dr. N.Rajam.