Rising artists to get a platform at the Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav

The prestigious 63rd Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav, an annual mega festival of Indian Classical music will provide a platform for rising artists to perform this year. The musical fest organised by the Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal (ASPM) was announced today by Shrinivas Joshi, Executive President of the ASPM.

Suchismita Das, Amjad Ali and Upendra Bhat

Shilpa Puntambekar, Rajan and Sajan Mishra

This mega music carnival will take place between December 10 and 13 at the New English School, Ramanbaug Ground. The 63rd Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav will feature performances by about 24 renowned artists that will comprise of veterans as well as promising youngsters. The timings of festival are 3 pm to 10 pm on the first and third day. Performances will commence from 3:30pm on the second day of event. Last day of the carnival will have two sessions, the first will take place between 8 am and 12 noon and the second will be between 3pm and 10pm. It may get extended till 12 midnight subject to permission from the concerned authorities.

Shubha Mudgal, Manju Mehta and Suresh Wadkar

Shounak Abhisheki, Savani Kulkarni and Rupak Kulkarni

This year the ‘Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav' will be dedicated to Dr. Nanasaheb Deshpande to mark his 100th birth anniversary. Son-in-law of Sawai Gandharv, Deshpande was a well known vocalist of Kirana Gharana himself. He also worked as a secretary of ASPM for 25 years. To commemorate this occasion, his daughter-in-law Padma Deshpande (vocals) will begin the evening session with her performance. A talented exponent of Kirana Gharana, Padma Deshpande has mastered the art of Khyal, Thumri, Bhajan under the tutelage of Smt. Hirabai Badodekar.

The second performance will be by Bharati Vaishampayan, a Hindustani Classical vocalist of Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana and the current dean and head of department of Music of Shivaji University, Kolhapur. Her performance will be followed by renowned Kirana Gharana performer Pt. Upendra Bhat.

Bharati Pratap, Niladri Kumar and Dr. Prabha Atre

Pt Jasraj and Raghunandan Panshikar

Shubha Mudgal, a well known Hindustani classical vocalist of Gwallior Gharana will then perform. Subsequently, eminent singer Pt. Suresh Wadkar will present Hindustani Classical music to the audience. Later on, there will be a joint performance of Manju Mehta (Sitar) and Partho Sarthy (Sarod). As per the tradition of Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav, the festival will end with a performance of Prabha Atre, a veteran from the Kirana Gharana.

Pt Ulhas Kashalkar, Bharati Vaishampayan, Praveen Shevlikar

Malini Rajurkar and Pt Rajendra Gangani

The artists who will be performing for the very first time during Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav include Suresh Wadkar, Savani Kulkarni, Shilpa Puntambekar, Suchismita Das, Amjad Ali, Bharati Pratap, Dhruba Ghosh and Bharati Vaishampayan.