APRIL
The Artists

Alam Khan
Son of the legendary Sarod Maestro Ali Akbar Khan, Alam has been touching the hearts of audiences worldwide for many years. Since his initial training into the Maihar Seni Gharana at the age of seven, Alam was blessed to learn and live in the traditional style of Guru and student. Ali Akbar Khan’s careful crafting and guidance shows in each note as well as in Alam’s imaginative way of expressing the ancient ragas passed down from the courts of Emperor Akbar by Mian Tansen in the 16th century.
Kushal Das
Pandit Kushal Das is a leading master of both the sitar and surbahar in India today, with a style that builds on Pandit Nikhil Banerjee’s Maihar repertoire. Kushal was born in Kolkata in the year 1959, and hails from a family of musicians—his grandfather, the late Bimal Chandra Das, was a famous Esraj player, and his father, Sri Sailen Das, and uncle, Sri Santanu Das, are highly recognized sitar players. Kushal received rigorous training in advanced sitar styles and the art of music under the tutelage Professor Sanjoy Banerjee and Pandit Ajoy Sinha Roy. He began his study of the surbahar in 2002.


Anindo Chatterji
Pandit Anindo Chatterjee is one of the most accomplished tabla players of the modern age, known for his breathtaking speed and extraordinary clarity of stroke. His studies began at the age of five, under Ustad Afaq Hussain Khan of the Lucknow gharana. At that same age, he became All India Radio’s youngest performing artist, and soon after entered the gurukul to train under Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh. He studied with his guru for three decades, learning the intricate grammar of the Farukhabad gharana before branching out to others.
Kaushiki Chakraborty
Kaushiki Chakraborty could reproduce Hindustani classical vocal patterns at the age of two. Maestros visiting the ITC Sangeet Research Academy (SRA), where Kaushiki grew up, soondiscovered a new game: they would hurl the most complex of patterns at her, using only the ‘aa’ vowel instead of pronouncing the notes, and wait for her to identify the notes and reproduce the patterns. This is something she could do instantly and consistently. It would not be an overstatement to assert that Kaushiki was a child prodigy. However, unlike many prodigies who flicker but fail to flourish, Kaushiki kept her promise.


Ojas Adhiya
Ojas Adhiya was born in Chikhli, Maharashtra State, and is hailed as a musical child prodigy. His father, Dr. Yogesh Adhiya, spotted his child’s keen interest in percussion at the tender age of 2, watching him at Siddha Yoga Guru Swami Muktananda and Gurumayi Chidvilasananda’s chanting and meditation center.
Ajay Joglekar
Ajay Joglekar has a natural gift for Harmonium playing. He has been performing and arranging music for the last 20 years. Through his dedication and practice, he has created a style and technique that is uniquely his own. Ajay has undergone training from renowned Harmonium player Pandit Tulsidas Borkar for many years. He has also been in association for many years with internationally acclaimed Indian classical vocalist, Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty—accompanying him on the Harmonium in his major concerts both in India and abroad.
