 Born in Calcutta on October 14,
1931, Nikhil Banerjee`s first teacher was his father, Jitendra Nath
Banerjee, a noted sitarist. Young Nikhil grew into a child prodigy,
and at age 9, becoming the youngest musician employed by All-India
Radio. Jitendranath approached Mushtaq Ali Khan to take the boy as a
disciple, but was turned down, instead Birendra Kishore Roy
Chowdhury, the zamindar of Gouripur in present-day Bangladesh, was
responsible for much of Nikhil`s early training.
In 1947 he became a disciple of the revered guru, Baba Allauddin
Khan. At first, Baba Allauddin did not want to take on more
students, but changed his mind after listening to one of Banerjee`s
radio broadcasts. Giving up his concert career, Nikhil Banerjee
spent the next seven years studying under Allauddin Khan at Maihar.
He was also taught by Baba Allauddin Khan`s son, the famous sarod
maestro, Ali Akbar Khan.
Nikhil Banerjee`s first appearance, after this retreat, at the
Tansen Music Conference in Calcutta in December 1954, was
enthusiastically received. Numerous foreign tours followed from 1955
onwards. Pandit Nikhil Banerjee`s total mastery over all the nuances
of sitar playing, his ability to flawlessly analyze each raga and
apply it in his music and his incredible command of his instrument
was recognized throughout the world of Indian music. His stunning
technical virtuosity was balanced by a meditative, introspective,
and lyrical approach that, owing to his dedication, reached a depth
of expression rarely achieved by others. In India, his performances
are especially known for the purity of his classical style and the
intense vitality of his improvisations.
In 1968 he was awarded the Indian Government title Padma Shri and in
1974, the Sangeet Natak Akademi (the National Academy of Performing
Arts) Award. His last public performance was in Calcutta on Friday
24th January 1986. The world of music lost one of its greatest
artistic geniuses when Nikhil Banerjee died of a heart attack on
January 27, 1986. In recognition of his greatness, he was
posthumously given one of the Indian government`s highest civilian
awards, the Padmabhushan.
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