Indian Music Society of Minnesota (IMSOM)

Birju Maharaj (Semi-classical Vocal)
with
Chadrachud Bhattacharjee (Sitar)
& Ambika Prasad Mishra (Tabla)

Friday, June 25, 1999, 8:00 pm

Venue:

The Saint Paul Student Center Theater,
University of Minnesota, Saint Paul campus

About the artists:

Pandit Birju Maharaj, is recognized internationally as the greatest living exponent of the North Indian classical dance Kathak. Beate Gordon, director of the Pperforming Arts Department of the Asia Society, New York wrote, "Birju Maharaj is in the class of the great western performers such as Baryshnikov, Margot Fonteyn, Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham. He is a phenomenon". Among his many awards, Pandit Birju Maharaj has received the Sangeet Natak Academy Award and the Padma Vibhushan (the highest Presidential award for achievement) awarded by the Government of India. He was the invited choreographer at the American Dance Festival at Durham, North Carolina in 1991. He was honored with a special award at the prestigious Avignon Festival at Paris, France in July, 1995. His company has a galaxy of well-groomed dancers and musicians. They have represented India in the Festival of India celebrations in Europe and USA in 1985 and 1989. Choreographic compositions of Pandit Birju Maharaj have been presented in most of the prestigious dance festivals in India, UK. France, Germany, USSR and Canada. Aside from being a phenomenal dancer, Pandit Birju Maharaj is a consummate vocalist, percussionist, composer, poet, choreographer and has mastered many instruments. This concert of Pandit Birju Maharaj will feature him as a vocalist, with his extensive repertoire of Thumri, Dadra, Bhajan, Ghazal, Geet and folk songs.

Chandrachur Bhattacharjee, Sitar artist, was initiated in the art of playing the sitar by the late Sitar player Sri Debiprasad Ghosh, and was later accepted for tutelage by the eminent Sitar maestro Sri Subrata Roy Choudhury. He had his public debut at the age of fourteen in Calcutta, India. Since then he had played in almost all major cities in India and many other places abroad, which includes Japan, Italy, France, Norway, Finland, United Kingdom and USA.

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