Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra presents its prestigious annual festival of Classical Music, the “Shriram Shankarlal Music Festival”  from March 27th to 29th, 2024 at Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra Lawns, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi

Designed and cultivated by Smt. Shobha Deepak Singh, the Director and Vice Chairperson of the Kendra, the Shriram Shankarlal Music Festival is one of the oldest in the country that celebrates Indian Classical Music by presenting extraordinary performances by legends and established artists in the realm.

The lineup for this year again is extremely impressive and includes Pravin Godkhindi with his young son Shadaj Godkhindi (Flute), the maestro Ulhas Kashalkar (Hindustani Classical Vocal), well known Manjiri Asanare (Vocal), the legendary Violinist N. Rajam with her daughter Sangeeta Shanker (Violin), leading instrumentalist of today Purbayan Chatterjee (Sitar) and the renowned maestro from Kolkata, Ajoy Chakrabarty (Vocal).

Through Shriram Shankarlal Music Festival, the Kendra has made a mark for itself in the arena of performing arts and has been nurturing its basic ideology of binding rich Indian traditions onto the wings of current generation as it paces through the clouds of materialism. “For 7 decades, Shriram Shankarlal Music Festival has served as a platform to celebrate the timeless beauty of Indian classical music,” says Padmashri Mrs. Shobha Deepak Singh. She adds, “This year’s edition of Shriram Shankarlal Music Festival fills me with immense pride. We have the privilege of experiencing the mastery of veterans alongside the brilliance of younger artists. It’s a testament to the vibrant legacy of our cultural heritage.”

Schedule of this edition of Shriram Shankarlal Music Festival 2024, is as follows :

– Wednesday, March 27th, 2024 : flute by Pravin Godkhindi & Shadaj Godkhindi at 6.30pm and Hindustani Classical Vocal by Ulhas Kashalkar at 7.45pm

– Thursday, March 28th, 2024 : vocal by Manjiri Asanare at 6.30pm and Violin by N. Rajam & Sangeeta Shanker at 7.45pm

– Friday, March 29th, 2024 : sitar by Purbayan Chatterjee at 6.30pm and Vocal by Ajoy Chakrabarty at 7.45pm

Artist Profiles:

– Pravin Godkhindi: Pravin Godkhindi is a flutist who comes from a family steeped in music. His father, Pandit Venkatesh Godkhindi, was his first and only flute teacher. Pravin began playing at the age of 3 and gave his first public concert at 6. He is skilled in both the Kirana Gharana gayaki style and the tantrakari style of playing the bansuri.

Pravin is not just a flutist but also a composer, vocalist, actor, tabla player, and harmonium player. He has performed with renowned artists like Ustad Zakir Hussain and Pandit Jasraj. He has also formed a fusion band called Krishna that blends Hindustani, Carnatic, and Western music. Pravin’s son, Shadaj, is a talented flute player himself, and together they are believed to be the only three-generation family of flutists in India.

– Shadaj Godkhindi: Shadaj Godkhindi, born into a musical legacy, began his training in flute at the tender age of 2 under his grandfather. A child prodigy, he gave his first public concert at 3 and has since performed extensively in India and abroad, both as a soloist and alongside his father, Pravin Godkhindi. Shadaj has also collaborated with legendary musicians like Ustad Rashid Khan and Pandit Venkatesh Kumar, further solidifying his reputation as a rising star in Hindustani classical music. His talent has been recognized with numerous awards, including the prestigious Sur Jyothsna Award and the NCPA Scholarship for best instrumentalist.

– Ulhas Kashalkar : Initiated into music by his father Shri. Nagesh Dattatreya Kashalkar, an advocate and a musicologist, Ulhas ji is a gold medalist from Nagpur University in his post graduation, where he learnt from Pt. Rajabhau Kogje and Prof. Prabhakar Rao Khardenavis. He received rigorous talim from Pt. Ram Marathe and Pt. Gajanan Rao Joshi in three distinct Gharanas such as Gwalior Jaipur and Agra. Ulhasji has been associated with ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata as a Senior Guru since 1992. He has been guiding students in Bengal Parampara Sangeetalay in Dhaka, Bangladesh as a Guru since 2014. He is also associated as a Guru and is training students at MIT Gurukul, Pune.

– Manjiri Asanare Kelkar : Hailing from a traditional music family and daughter of Anand Asare, the renowned tabla artist, Manjiri found her guiding light in her father who nurtured her foundation and helped her reach where she is today. He polished her “Laya and Taal” and encouraged her as an artist. Manjiri inherited the rich tradition of Jaipur Atrauli gharana from Pt. Kanetkar, doyen of the gharana. In her singing, Manjiri effortlessly depicts the strong association of Pt. Kanetkar with Ustad Bhurji Khansaheb. She is grateful to Pt. C. T. Mhaiskar of Sangli for his guidance during her early years.

– Dr. N. Rajam : Dr. N. Rajam, a violin virtuoso and Padma Bhushan awardee, is renowned for her revolutionary “Gayaki Ang” technique, which brings the vocal style of Hindustani music to the violin. A child prodigy who began with Carnatic music, she has performed globally and served as the Dean at Banaras Hindu University for 40 years. Her dedication to music is further recognized by prestigious awards like the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the Padma Bhushan.

– Dr. Sangeeta Shankar: Dr. Sangeeta Shankar, daughter of violin legend Dr. N. Rajam, is a virtuoso violinist in her own right. A child prodigy who debuted at 8, she has performed internationally and received acclaim for her soulful music. An academic achiever with a doctorate in music, Dr. Shankar is also a gifted composer and educator. She founded the Sharangadev School of Music to share her knowledge with students worldwide, and her efforts in music education were recognized with the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2021.

– Purbayan Chatterjee: Sitar maestro Purbayan Chatterjee, a Senia Maihar Gharana descendant, blends the legacy of Pt. Nikhil Banerjee with his own contemporary touch. Trained by legends like Pt. Parthapratim Chatterjee and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Purbayan is an award-winning performer and founder of the ground breaking Shastriya Syndicate, the first Indian classical band.

– Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty: A legend among vocalists, Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty represents the Patiala-Kasur Gharana but effortlessly embodies the nuances of other Indian classical styles, including Carnatic music. His mastery extends beyond vocals, as he is also a composer, lyricist and recipient of prestigious awards like the Padma Bhushan (2020) and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.