ARTISTS

Sahana Banerjee is one of the most accomplished and outstanding female sitar players of India. Belonging to the Rampur Senia Gharana, Sahana was born in a family of rich musical heritage and was readily recognized as a child prodigy at the early age of 4. Her father, Professor Santosh Banerjee, was a celebrated sitar and surbahar player in India, and former Head of the Department of Instrumental Music of Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata. Additionally, Sahana received extensive vocal training from her mother, Chhabi Banerjee—daughter of Sangeetcharya Kashinath Chattopadhyay of the Sahaswan Gharana.

Sahana’s unique presentation reflects the traditional Veenkar Dhrupad Style of the Rampur Senia Gharana—maintaining the purity of raga along with her own aesthetic blends of gayaki.

Under the tutelage of her father and years of hard training, she won the Pandit Nikhil Banerjee Challenge Trophy at the Dover Lane Music Conference in the year 1990 in Kolkata and was given the “Best Instrumentalist” award. Apart from being a top artist at All India Radio and Television since 1995, Sahana has also given many prestigious stage performances in India and Europe. Sahana has played sitar in many occidental music festivals, where she performed with famous Italian flautist Massimo Mercelli.

Sahana has worked with a unique project called “D’une rive a l’utre,” where Sahana has played with celebrated pianist Shani Diluka—the presented theme was “Franz Schubert meets Indian Classical Music.” This program was organized by Radio France in the famous museum Petit Palais, in Paris.