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Kushal Das (Sitar) with
Swapan Chaudhuri (Tabla)

Saturday, September 6th, 2003, 7:30 pm

Venue:

Coffman Union Theater
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis campus

About the artists:

Born into a highly regarded family of musicians, and having acquired a profound knowledge of musical understanding and raga improvisation, Kushal Das is now considered one of the foremost torch bearers of the tradition of Indian classical instrumental music. Kushal started his rigorous training in music from the age of seven and had the proud privilege of having learnt from great musicians- Sarvashree Manas Chakraborty, Sanjoy Banarjee, Ramkrishna Basu and Late Ajoy Sinha Roy. His concerts are always marked for their aesthetic appeal and insight with a fine command of technical expertise. He has been acknowledged by the critics and connoisseurs as a worthy successor of his idol, the late maestro Pundit Nikhil Banerjee. An "A" grade musician of All India Radio and Television, he is a proud recipient of "Sangeet Visharad" from Pracheen Kala Kendra-of Chandigarh and "Sur-Mani" form Sur Sringar Samsad of Mumbai. His tours abroad covered Germany, France, Sweeden,Denmark, Finland and Italy, while his recent tour to Holland, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Bangladesh was marked with great success and appreciation.

Swapan Chaudhuri is an eminent tabla player whose musical accomplishments have earned him world wide fame. In 1981, Ali Akbar Khan invited him to come to the U.S. from Calcutta and teach at the College. Not only is he a top level musician and performer, but also an excellent teacher. His knowledge of the different schools (gharanas) of tabla playing is extensive. His parents, through their passion for music, initiated his formal musical training and inspired him in the field of tabla. From a young age, he came under the tutelage of Pandit Santosh Krishna Biswas of Calcutta, a premier exponent of the Lucknow Style of tabla playing. He holds a Master's degree in Music and has received honors and awards from the Government of India and other institutions. He developed his skill as an accompanist through years of accompanying Ali Akbar Khan. As a soloist and accompanist, he has also traveled throughout the world, accompanying many of the leading musicians of India. At the College, he teaches tabla to students at all levels, and he also composes and directs the College percussion ensembles. He is associated with various American Universities as a visiting professor. He is also a faculty member at the California Institute of the Arts.

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