Indian National Theatre will organize a classical music program, “Varshu Ritu Sangeet Sandhya,” on August 9 with the support of the Durgadas Foundation at the auditorium of Strawberry Fields High School, Sector 26. The purpose of the event is to joyfully celebrate the arrival of the monsoon.
This time, heartfelt tributes are also being paid on the birth anniversary of the late Navjeevan Khosla Ji, who was a patron of the Indian National Theatre
On this occasion, Anil Nehru, President of the Indian National Theatre, and Vinita Gupta, Honorary Secretary, informed that the classical music evening will start at 6:30 PM. The event will feature Hindustani classical vocalist Vidushi Meeta Pandit and Hindustani classical singer Dr. Avinash Kumar, who will mesmerize the audience with their sweet musical renditions.
Vinita Gupta shared information about the artists, stating that Vidushi Meeta Pandit is a leading and popular Hindustani classical singer. She has captivated audiences in India and over 25 other countries. Vidushi Meeta is a top-grade artist of All India Radio. Her performances in Sufi, Thumri, Bhakti, and light classical styles are equally emotive. She belongs to the Gwalior gharana and is the sixth member of an unbroken lineage, and is the first woman in her family to adopt music professionally. She is the granddaughter of Padma Bhushan Pandit Krishnarao Shankar Pandit, a pioneer of Hindustani classical music in North India during the 20th century. Vidushi Meeta is the daughter of Pandit Lakshman Krishnarao Pandit, from whom she learned music after her grandfather.
Vidushi Meeta Pandit has been very active in promoting and spreading Indian classical music worldwide. She has written a book titled “Pandit Gwalior: The Heritage Gharana Music of India.” She has also presented a popular music appreciation series called “Swara Shringar” on World Space Satellite Radio. She has been an advisor at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts and actively trains and teaches emerging singers in India and abroad to spread the rich and melodious Indian classical music globally. She has performed at national and international platforms.
Vinita Gupta further mentioned that Dr. Avinash Kumar is a young Hindustani classical singer. He began his classical music training with Smt. Sadhana Chatterjee and Sri Purnachandra Chatterjee. Later, he received advanced training from Ustad Aftab Ahmed Khan of the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana. He also trained with Pandit Tushar Dutt of the Agra gharana and Pandit Somnath Mardur of the Kirana gharana. Academically, Avinash is a gold medalist (2011) in Master’s degree (Hindustani Classical Singing) from the Department of Music, Delhi University. He also completed his M.Phil and Ph.D. from the same department. He has received awards such as the Prof. V. Bani Ram Medal (2012), Prof. Sumati Mutatkar (2010), to name a few. He has also published a book titled “Rampur Sahaswan Gharana: An Exquisite Tradition of Hindustani Music.” Avinash Kumar is a graded artist of All India Radio and serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Music at Shyama Prasad Mukherjee College, Delhi University.
During the program, Vidushi Meeta Pandit and Dr. Avinash Kumar will be accompanied by Sh. Tarun Joshi on the harmonium and the renowned Pandit Ram Kumar Mishra on the tabla. The ” Varshu Ritu Sangeet Sandhya” will be open to music-loving audiences free of charge.
