Meet the Maestros

The second programme under the series Meet the maestros was organized on 3rd March, 2017. In this programme, four artists of International repute from India were presented to the audience. A small performance was followed by an interactive session.

Pandit Ravindra Katoti – Pt. Ravindra Katoti started learning Hindustani classical Harmonium at the age of eight. Since then he has been the disciple of Pandit Rambhau Bijapure, a Harmonium exponent of our times. The blessings and guidance of his Guru, and his own sincere efforts have moulded him into a versatile and brilliant Harmonium player. Ravindra has also established himself as an able accompanist and received acclaim from many of the top performing vocalists, organisers and connoisseurs as well. He has performed throughout the country and abroad, both as a soloist and an accompanist. He has accompanied many of the top ranking vocalists of the country including Dr.Gangubai Hangal, Pt.Bhimsen Joshi, Pt.Jasaraj, and Pt.Yashavantbua Joshi. He has also been instrumental in instituting BIJAPURE HARMONIUM FOUNDATION in Bangalore. This is forum dedicated to the cause of promoting ‘Harmonium’

Vid. D Balakrishna – Vid. D. Balakrishna is a Carnatic veena player and son of noted veena player ‘Sangeetha Kalanidhi’ Vid. Doraiswamy Iyengar. As the current torch bearer of the Mysore style of Veena playing, he is noted for his elegant fingering technique and tradition-bound yet rich and sophisticated musical renderings. He has a MSc in Statistics and has worked with the Reserve Bank of India. In addition to accompanying his father he has also given solo performances in India as well as abroad. He has also played with violinist M Chandrashekar and sarod player Pandit Rajiv Taranath. With his father’s Pancha Veena troupe, he performed in Russia in 1987, and at the “Festival of India” in Germany in 1991. In 1988, he performed in Britain with his father. In 2002, he toured the United States and again in 2006, when he performed in Washington DC, representing the Government of Karnataka in the Vishwa Kannada Sammelana
Pandit Ravindra Yavagal – Pt. Ravindra Yavagal was initiated into the art of tabla playing by his father at the age of four. Thereafter, Pt. Ravindra Yavagal continued his training on the tabla with Sri. Veeranna Kamkar of Hubli. By the time he came under the tutelage of Pt. Sheshagiri Hangal, a well-known tabla artist from the Dharwad belt, Pt. Ravindra Yavagal was already considered to be a child prodigy. Having given his first solo performance at the age of ten at the prestigious Sawai Gandharva Music Festival at Kundagol, he continued to be associated with Pt. Hangal for almost three decades. Furthermore, he has also been blessed to learn from Pt. Lalji Gokhale, the renowned disciple of the legendary tabla maestro Ustad Ahmed Jan Thirakhwa. Besides being a solo artist, he has performed in many prestigious music festivals and accompanied many of the best musicians of the country like Pt. Mallikarjun Mansur, Dr. Gangubai Hangal, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Pt. Ram Marathe, Pt. Ramarao Naik, Pt. Basavaraj Rajguru, Pt. Jasraj, Pt. C. R. Vyas, Pt. Firoz Dastur, Pt. Dinkar Kaikini, Pt. Rajan and Pt. Sajan Mishra, Begum Parveen Sultana, Vidushi Kishori Amonkar, Ust. Bale Khan, Pt. Hariparasad Chaurasia, Dr. M. S. Gopalakrishnan, Dr. N. Rajam, Dr. Rajeev Taranath, Ust. Salamat Ali Khan of Pakistan, Pt. Vishwamohan Bhat, Ust. Shahid Parvez, and Pt. Buddhaditya Mukherjee, to name only a few.
Vid. MK Pranesh – Vid. MK Pranesh exhibited an extraordinary talent in music at a tender age and could sing one of the lengthy and complicated kritis of carnatic music, ‘Bhavayami Raghuramam’ at the age of five. His mother, a talented musician herself, nourished his musical talent by offering him initial lessons. Later on, he showed a keen interest for Flute and started professional training in carnatic music at the age of seven under the tutelage of flute maestro Gana Kala Bhushana Sri M.R.Doreswamy. Just a year later he rendered his first public performance. M.K. Pranesh has been continuing his musical journey to this date. Pranesh has performed at many prestigious Sabhas across the nation. Besides, he has toured countries like Nepal, Australia, Fiji Islands, Russia, U.K.and other European countries and USA through ICCR as a cultural ambassador of carnatic music. Has played and composed music for several commercial/devotional cassettes and CDs. He is a part of the renowned percussion ensemble of Ayyanar College of Music known as ‘Laya Lahari’. Jugalbandi concerts of Vid. Pranesh and Pt. Pravin Godkhindi have been well received by connoisseurs of music in India and abroad. They also have jointly released a CD named ‘Milaap’

This programme was held in Sri Vidya Auditorium, Our School premises, Banashankari, Bengaluru. This was also collaborated with Sanjog Bansuri Mahavidyalaya. This was supported by Dept. of Kannada and Culture, GoK

Invite of the event

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