The World Music Institute Kicks Off Its Masters of Indian Music Series with ANINDO CHATTERJEE, 9/27

The World Music Institute's long-running and celebrated series Masters of Indian Music returns September 27 at 2:00 p.m. with a tabla duet concert featuring Indian classical music luminary Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, who is joined by his son and musical disciple Anubrata Chatterjee, and Sanatan Goswami on harmonium.

The event takes place at Storm King Art Center, located 90 minutes north of New York City, marking another brand-new collaboration between WMI and leading regional cultural institutions. Tickets are free with museum admission.

Trained from his early childhood in the art by Guru Padmabhusan Jnan Prakash Ghosh, tabla player Anindo Chatterjee gained incredible mastery of the tradition, and continues to give new voice to the instrument with his own unique style. In acknowledgment of his immense contribution to music both in India and throughout the world, he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademy Award in 2002 and has performed for numerous dignitaries and heads of state.

World Music Institute holds a long tradition of presenting the most cherished guardians of Indian classical music traditions, both Hindustani (North India) and Carnatic (South India). Its very first concert in 1985 featured some of India's most celebrated classical artists, including Lalgudi Jayraman, Maharajapuram Santhanam, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shivkumar Sharma, and Zakir Hussain.

This season's Masters of Indian Music series continues February 5, 2016 with L. Subramaniam at at the 92nd Street Y, and Amjad Ali Khan on April 2 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Anindo Chatterjee

Gifted with an ability to summon crystal-clear melodies from his drums, Anindo Chatterjee evolved into one of the world's greatest tabla players. The director of the Farrukhabad Gharana of Tabla, founded by Haji Vilayat Khan Saheb, Chatterjee continues to give new voice to his instrument. In addition to solo performances and recordings, Chatterjee worked with sitar players Pandit Nikhil Banerjee, Budhahitya Mukherjee, and Ustad Rais Khan; sarod players Buddhadev Das Gupta and Ali Akbar Kahn; flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia; santoor player Pandit Shivkumar Sharma; and vocalists Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur and Gangubai Hangal. Inspired by his uncle, Pandit Biswanath Chatterjee, Chatterjee began playing tabla at the age of five. Studying briefly with Ustad Afaq Hussain Khan of the Lucknow Gharana, he advanced to Pandit Jnan Prakesh, with whom he studied for three decades. The recipient of the prestigious President's Award in 1970, Chatterjee became the first table player to perform in the House of Commons 20 years later.

Anubrata Chatterjee

Son of the world-renowned tabla maestro, Pt. Anindo Chatterjee, Anubrata Chatterjee was nurtured from day one to be a tabla player. He had the rare fortune of being the youngest and last "Ganda-Bandh" disciple of the great Guru Padmabhushan-Deshkottam Jnan Prakash Ghosh in 1992. Later on Anubrata continued to study under his father. Anubrata has played many tabla solos and duets with his father and regularly accompanies musicians including Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ustad Rais Khan, Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Ustad Shahid Parvez, and many more all over the world. Anubrata made his international debut with a solo performance at the B.B.C. world radio in the UK in 1991. Since then he has performed in major international festivals around the world. In 2006, Anubrata had the rare fortune of performing at Carnegie Hall with the maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. Today, Anubrata is regarded as one of the finest tabla players of his generation.

Sanatan Goswami

Born in Nabadwip Dham, Sanatan Goswami belongs to the fourteenth generation of Lord Chaitainya Mahaprabhu's wife, Smt Bisnupriya Devi. A highly talented musician, he was introduced to vocal music by his uncle, Late Manindra Goswami, who was the student of Late Sangitacharya Pandit Chinmoy Lahiri. He later trained under Pandit Dinanath Mishra. He then took his talim in Harmonium from Pandit Maharaj Banerjee and subsequently, under the late Pandit V G Jog. In addition to being a reputed solo Harmonium player and vocalist, Sanatan is among the few select accompanists of prominent musicians like Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Rajan & Pandit Sajan Mishra, Vidushi Girija Devi, Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty and Shri Bickram Ghosh. Sanatan has performed all over India and has also made his mark in performances across the US, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East. He is also a regular artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan.

Photo Courtesy of the World Music Institute