Mentors
PANDIT TARUN BHATTACHARYA , Santoor maestro
Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya is Maihar Gharana’s only santoor maestro and widely regarded “as the master of one hundred strings.” A “Sangeet Mahasamman” Award winner from the Government of West Bengal , Pandit Bhattacharya’s list of admirers include Prince Charles now King of the United Kingdom , George Harrison, Amitabh Bachchan, Paolo Solaris and many more. He has performed in world’s top notch venues like Royal Albert Hall, Theater De La Ville, Apollo Theater, Jubilee Auditorium and his. He has joined INFAC as a Patron on and from 1st October, 2023.
GURU RATIKANT MOHAPATRA- Odissi dancer, teacher, choreographer
A 40-year association with the field of Odissi and the years of training and experience with his father and guru, late Sri Kelucharan Mohapatra have left their imprint on Ratikant and today, he has carved an enviable niche for himself as a dancer, percussionist, teacher, choreographer, and archivist.. He is attributed to creating a Guinness World Record for choreographing and directing 555 dancers in an Odissi dance composition, the very first of its kind. In his role as a choreographer, Ratikant has conceived more than 67 original works, characterized by ‘neo-classical’ choreographic innovations, attractive musical arrangements, experimental lighting, and stagecraft, all within the boundaries of the Odissi idiom. Ratikant’s versatility and creative energy have found expression in celluloid as well, most recently in the choreography of Odissi dance sequences for the Indo–Chinese film “The Desire.”
USTAAD WASEEM AHMED KHAN, Classical vocalist of Agra gharana
Regarded as the torchbearer of Agra gharana, Ustaad Waseem Ahmed Khan hails from the blue-blood family of classical vocal musicians, namely, Ustad Faiyaz Khan Saheb, Ustad Ata Hussain Khan Saheb, Ustad Sharafat Khan Saheb, Ustad Vilayat Khan. Trained initially under his maternal grandfather Late Ata Hussain Khan , he was later on trained by his father Ustaad Naseem Ahmed Khan and thereafter at ITC- Sangeet Research by Ustad Shafi Ahmed Khan. He is currently teaching scholars in ITC-Sangeet Research Academy. Ustaad Waseem Ahmed Khan has performed at several prestigious music festivals around the globe and received a number of awards in recognition of his performance .
PANDIT SANJOY ADHIKARY, Classical Tabla Player
Pt. Adhikari is specialist for his laykari and rare tehai’s and musical sound production. Holder of many prestigious awards, he is associated with ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata, as a faculty member. With experience of 25 years as a performer, Pt. Adhikari as an accompanist performed in different programmes in the country and abroad with Pt. Ulhash Kashalkar, Padma Bhusan Bidushi Girija Devi and many others.
PROF. SRUTI BANDOPADHYAY- Manipuri dancer, teacher, choreographer
A D.Litt. from Visva-Bharati, Dr Bandopadhay is a ‘Top’ Grade artiste of Manipuri Dance in Doordarshan. The holder of Fulbright Fellowship (2007) and receiver of Sangeet Natak Academy Award (2023), Dr Bandopadhay is a Professor in Manipuri Dance at Visva Bharati. She has choreographed a number of productions that have brought her acclaim and honor.
PROF. SABYASACHI SARKHEL- Hindustani Classicial Sitarist & Teacher
A Professor and former H.O.D. of Hindustani Classical Music of Visva Bharati University, former Dean of Sangit Bhavana of Visva Bharati, Prof. Dr. Sarkhel is an ‘A’ Grade Artiste of AIR and Doordarshan since1991. He has earned much fame as a Hindustani Classical Sitar player inside and outside the country and has performed sitar recital in Japan, South Korea, Mauritius, Bangladesh.
PROF. SANGEETA PANDIT- Teacher & Classical, Semi-classical Vocal Musician
Holder of B.Mus. and M. Mus. Vocal, both with Gold Medal, from Faculty of Fine Arts , Banaras Hindu University, Prof. Pandit is a ‘B-High Grade Artiste of All India Radio. She is a Professor and is currently the H.O.D. of Vocal Music, Faculty of Fine Arts of Banaras Hindu University and has gained expertise in North-Indian Classical and Semi-classical Vocal Music styles, i.e., Khayal, Thumri, Dadra and other Semi-Classical styles, Sugam Sangeet, Ghazals, Folk songs (Uttar Pradesh). Her audio releases ,namely, Swar Sumananjali and Swaranjali have created a deep rooted feelings amongst its listeners.
Dr. NUPUR GANGULY- Teacher & Light Classical and RagPradhan vocal Musician
A First class First with Gold Medal in B. Music, First Class in M. Music and a Ph.D. in Musicology, Dr. Ganguly is an Associate Professor of the Vocal Music Department of Rabindra Bharati University and is presently the Head of the said Department. An ‘A’ Grade Artiste of All India Radio, Kolkata, Nupur has gained expertise in performing Light Classical, Rag Pradhan, Hindi Bhajan, Nazrul Sangeet , and all types of Bengali songs. She has performed in innumerable musical sorties in the country and in USA and Bangladesh. Website: www.nupurg.com
DEBASHIS BOSE, Voice artist
Engaged professionally with All India Radio, Doordarshan, film industry for last 45 years as voice artist, Shri Bose has earned much fame as an accomplished radio announcer and TV news caster and elocutionist. He is widely respected as one of the senior most stage anchors of West Bengal.
Working Committee Members
URMILA BHAUMIK, Chairperson
Urmila Bhaumik has excelled in one of the immensely rich classical dance forms of India , viz., Odissi and has been experimenting with Fusion of various dance forms, dance and smrutinrityayan – dance with forms of poetry and theatre. Urmila has been performing in the country and abroad with aplomb for years and is one of the most sought after choreographers in the city. She is a television newscaster and professional stage and television presenter of repute. Presently, she is a freelance news reading instructor. Urmila has been a popular dance jury for various stage and reality shows.
NAMITA BANERJEE, Co-chairperson
A diploma holder in Rabindra Sangeet from Rabi Tirtha under the guidance of Smt. Suchitra Mitra in 1991(1st class first) and with 25 years of experience as a performer, Banerjee has been performing Rabindra Sangeet and all types of Bengali traditional vocal music in various programmes . She has been performing in AIR and Doordarshan shows since last 25 years and participated in 1000 voices- Rabindra Sangeet as a team leader at Netaji Indoor Stadium (2015) and in the World Culture Festival (2016) in New Delhi organised by the Art of Living.
SRABANTI BANERJEE, Convenor
An M.A. in Khayal from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, and 25 years experience as a performer, Srabanti’s areas of specialization are: Khayal, Bengali Modern Song, Nazrul Geeti, Rabindra Sangeet, Bhajan, Rag Pradhan songs.
SABYASACHI CHANDRA, Co-convenor
A Sangeet Prabhakar award winner from Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad, Sabyasachi at an early age met Prof. Anil Bhattacharjee and was under his tutelage. Later, he met legendary table maestro Pandit Shankar Ghosh and accepted him as his mentor and guide. As a table player, he has accompanied many distinguished artistes of different genre of music and as a soloist has performed all over India in different programmes.
DIPA DAS, Member
An ‘A’ Grade artiste of All India Radio, Kolkata, Dipa has more than 30 years experience as a performer in vocal music and more particularly in Nazrul Sangeet and light classical music. She is a known Nazrul researcher and earned many awards and is a research scholar of Centre for Cultural Resources and Training ( CCRT) , Government of India.
DR. PARAMA ROY, Member
An M.A. in Rabindra Sangeet from Rabindra Bharati University and a Ph. D. in vocal music from her alma mater, Parama is a music teacher and a Rabindra Sangeet performer.
ARPITA CHATTERJEE, Member
Chatterjee is an experienced choreographer and a trainer in Odissi and Rabindrik dance.