Aastha Goswami
Aastha Goswami, nee Agarwal , began her musical training at the age of ten, first from late Sri Sita Saran Singh Chauhan and later from Dr S S Awasthi, disciple of Ustad Amir Khan. She has completed the Sangeet Visharad, Sangeet Nipun and her masters in vocal music. Aastha has been the recipient of several scholarships and state and national level awards and has also been conferred the title of 'Surmani' by Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai in 2004. An All India Radio approved artiste, Aastha was a scholar of ITC SRA between September 2005 and December 2006, under Arun Bhaduri.

Ajoy Chakrabarty
Born in Kolkata, Ajoy Chakrabarty showed extraordinary promise in music from a very young age. He was initially groomed by his father Shri Ajit Chakrabarty who shaped his early style in North Indian vocal music and later by Shri Kanai Das Bairagi. Ajoy also honed his musical skills under Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh. Talented both musically as well as academically, Ajoy got his Bachelor’s as well as Master’s degrees in music from Rabindra Bharati University, consistently topping his class. He was in his teens when he became a disciple of Ustad Munawar Ali Khan, the son of the great Patiala Maestro, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.

Ajoy has been with ITC-SRA right from its inception, joining in 1978 as its first scholar. He went on to become one of the youngest gurus of the Academy, a post that he still holds and is a member of the Experts Committee. Ajoy’s list of awards and honours is monumental. To name but a few, he is the first Fellow to have received a Gold Medal from ITC-SRA, he was the first recipient of the Kumar Gandharva Award for the ' Best Musician of India under 45 ' and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for the year 2000 was conferred upon him for his outstanding contribution to Hindustani Classical Music.

Ajoy has been proving sedulously and with success that Indian classical music if understood and practiced properly can contribute to international amity and understanding. Through his innumerable albums and CDs published all over the world and his extensive musical tours, he has spanned the cultural gulf between India and the West, endearing him even to those listeners who do not understand the language of the lyrics. A top grade Artiste of All India Radio, he has also authored several books.

Ananth Vaidyanathan
Previously trained in Carnatic music, Ananth Vaidyanathan became a scholar of ITC-SRA in 1980. He was initially guided by Pandit A Kanan and Pandit Nivruttibua Sarnaik and then Pandit Sunil Bose of the Agra gharana. Subsequently heading ITC SRA’s Academic Research department from 1983 onwards, he continued to train under Sunil Bose with additional guidance from Pandit K G Ginde and Vidushi Girija Devi for another decade. In the last ten years, Ananth has worked intensively in voice engineering and culture techniques, triggered off by a Ford Foundation funded period of learning in Europe under Prof. Peter Calatin in 1990. Ananth today continues to teach and research into voice and has guided many Hindustani and Carnatic musicians with their voice problems and perceptions.

Aniruddha Bhattacharya
Born in 1971 and initiated to music by his mother Smt. Gouri Bhattacharya, Aniruddha joined ITC SRA as a scholar in 1994 under the able wings of A. Kanan. Between then and 2001 when he completed his training, he came a long way musically. Gifted with a mellifluous and emotive voice, Aniruddha has a bright future. He has given numerous impeccable recitals and has kept the flag of his alma mater flying.

Anjana Nath
Earlier groomed by renowned musicians of the Patiala gharana- Meera Banerjee and later, Lalit Mohan Sanyal, Anjana Nath joined ITC-SRA in 1989 as a scholar under Ajoy Chakraborty and left in 1999. An A graded artiste of All India Radio, she has topped several khayal and thumri competitions and was also a National Talent Search scholarship holder. She has performed in numerous concerts in India and has also extensively toured Europe. She has composed some Bengali songs in the light classical genre and has also to her credit, several CDs of her performances of khayal, thumri and bhajans.
 

	Raga : Desh

Arnab Chatterjee
Initiated into music at the early age of five by his father Shri Arun Kumar Chatterjee and then by Pandit A. Kanan, Arnab evolved into a young performer very early in his life, participating in numerous competitions and conferences in and around Kolkata. Arnab was an ITC-SRA scholar between 1998 and 2003, training at first under Mashkoor Ali Khan of the Kirana gharana and subsequently under Pandit A Kanan. A recipient of the National Talent Scholarship, Arnab won the Gold Medal along with the degree of Sangeet Visharad by securing First Position. He has also secured First Position at the All India Vocal Music Competition organised by Pandit Omkarnath Thakur Sangeet Mandal at Bharuch in 2002. More recently, Arnab has been honoured with the title of Surmani by the Sursringar Sansad of Mumbai, and was also adjudged Best Young Vocalist of 2004-2005 by Bharatiya Sanskriti Sansad.

Empanelled with the Indian Council For Cultural Relations as a teacher of classical music and an “A” Grade performer of All India Radio and Doordarshan Kolkata, Arnab broadcasts classical recitals regularly. He has been also selected as an examiner of Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata.
link: http://www.arnabvocalist.com
 

	Raga : Purya Kalyan

Arun Bhaduri
Born in Murshidabad, Arun Bhaduri was initially tutored by Mohammed A. Daud and later by Mohammed Sagiruddin Khan. His talent won him a place at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy as a musician scholar in 1978, where he received training from Ustad Ishtiaq Hussain Khan of the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana. Encouraged by Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh who taught him both classical and light classical music, he became aware of the nuances in lyrics. In his pursuit of musical excellence, he has been greatly influenced by Ustad Amir Khan and imbibed the Ustad's aesthetic qualities. Arun Bhaduri has combined all these styles to create one of his own. An acclaimed composer of Bengali songs and bhajans, he is a top grade radio and television artist, and has performed at innumerable concerts in India and abroad. He has to his credit a number of cassettes and CDs including some on music lessons released by the West Bengal State Music Academy. Arun Bhaduri has been a Guru at ITC Sangeet Research Academy since 1994.

Ashim Kumar Dey
Ashim initially trained under his father Sudhir Chandra Dey and subsequently under Basudev Roy. Both his gurus were students of Kukhendu Goswami, a renowned classical musician. Ashim’s has been associated with ITC SRA first as a general class student under Mashkoor Ali Khan and from mid 2005, he has been a scholar under the coveted tutelage of Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan. He has won prizes in several competitions and has also given several public performances.

Bakul Chatterjee
Bakul Chatterjee had her initial training in music from Pandit A Kanan and Smt Malabika Kanan as well as from Smt Hirabai Barodekar for a short while. In 1979 she joined the ITC Sangeet Research Academy as a disciple of Ustad Latafat Hussain Khan. She also received guidance from Pandit K G Ginde and Vidushi Girija Devi. An “A” grade artist of All India Radio, Bakul regularly features in various well-known musical conferences all over India, performing classical and light classical music. She has also performed overseas especially in the U.S.A and Bangladesh and has held musical workshops at Paschim Banga Rajya Sangeet Academy as a classical trainer. An examiner of Rabindra Bharati University and Bangiya Sangeet Parishad, she is one of the judges of the Audition and Competition Board of All India Radio, Kolkata.

Chandra Chakraborty
Initially receiving her musical tutelage under A Kanan as a general scholar at ITC SRA, from the age of 12, Chandra Chakraborty became a full time scholar, training under Malabika Kanan, from 1987. She left the Academy after getting married in 1991 and now lives in the UK. Chandra performs regularly and also teaches her art to students of different communities and cultures.
www.chandrachakraborty.info

Dalia Rahut
Dalia Rahut was initially trained in Hindustani classical music by Pandit A. Kanan. She was one of the first scholars of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, joining in 1978. Training under Vidushi Girija Devi from 1978 to 1992, she is a true representative of the Banaras Gharana, excelling in thumri, dadra, tappa, kajri, holi, chaiti, jhula, bhajan and other semi-classical forms. Dalia has also completed her Master’s Degree in Bengali literature.

As a public performer, she has performed at several conferences in India and is an artiste of All India Radio and Doordarshan, with cassette and CD releases to her credit. She has conducted workshops on light classical music under the aegis of Paschim Banga Rajya Sangeet Academy, Kolkata and is an empanelled judge of the Academy. Presently she heads the Indian Music Section of Calcutta School of Music.

Dola Dasgupta
Initially trained by Suchitra Saha, Dola started out as a General Class student of ITC-SRA. After she became a scholar, she became shishya to guru Biresh Roy, a veteran of the Rampur gayaki. She was training under Mashkoor Ali Khan, of the Kirana gharana before she left the Academy in 2004.

Durba Bhattacharyya
Imbibing music from her parents, her mother Tapati Banerjee being a vocalist, Durba Bhattacharyya was nurtured in the basics of Hindustani vocal music at a very early age by Ustad Mazhar Ali Khan of Patiala gharana. She joined ITC-SRA in 1987, aged 12, receiving tutelage from Ajoy Chakrabarty, first as a general class student and later as a scholar between 1992 and 1996. Durba also took specialised lessons from Vidushi Meera Banerjee, the veteran musician who was the shagird of none other than Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Since her marriage in ’97, she has been learning from Shantanu Bhattacharyya, her Gurubhai-turned-husband, who was also an ex-scholar here. She has performed at several cities in India and has regaled listeners in France, England and Bangladesh. She has cassette & CD releases of bhajans to her credit.
 

	Raga : Bhairav

Girish Chatterjee
Initiated by his father Tarakeshwar Chatterjee, who was a classical musician in his own right, and his mother, Dipali, Girish Chatterjee became a scholar at ITC-SRA at the age of 12 , training under Pandit A. Kanan. He was also deeply influenced by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. He has participated in prestigious music concerts all over India and has won several awards. Girish has also sung for Hindi feature films. He has classical, ghazal and devotional cassette and CD releases to his credit.
 

	Raga : Kalavati

Gopa Kanjilal
Gopa Kanjilal was initiated into classical music by her grandfather Late Smarajit Kanjilal. She was a research scholar at ITC SRA between 1978 and 1980. During her research on Classical music, she was under the able guidance of Ishtiaque Hussain Khan of Rampur Gharana and Latafat Hussain Khan of Agra-Atrauli Gharana. After leaving the Academy, she made a name for herself in light music.

Gourab Chatterjee
Gourab Chatterjee was introduced to Hindustani vocal music at the age of five by his mother. After her demise, he began to receive training from Jainul Abedin, a renowned vocalist of the Agra tradition. He went on to become a General Class student at the ITC SRA and then a scholar, under the tutelage of Arun Bhaduri. Apart from being a promising vocalist, Gourab is also an accomplished accompanist on the harmonium. Gourab completed his training in March 2006.

Ghulam Akbar Khan
Ghulam Akbar Khan hails from the Rampur Sahaswan lineage. Son of Ustad Ghulam Baqur Khan, he had his complete training under Ustad Nisar Hussain Khan, his father-in-law. He joined the Academy in 1978, where he continued his training under Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan. A versatile performer, his renditions have always been in the typical Rampur-Sahaswan style. Apart from his essential forte of khayal and tarana, his renditions of the lyrical forms including thumri, ghazal and bhajan have been well appreciated.

Ghulam Niyaz Khan
Ghulam Niyaz Khan, son of Ghulam Akbar Khan and grandson of late Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan, was born at the Academy. Fondly known as Khurram, his musical talent was recognized at the tender age of two and a half. Trained by his grandfather who was then a guru of ITC SRA, he was a scholar between April 1993 and August 1994 and at the age of 12 was astounding audiences at ITC Sangeet Sammelans around the country.

Hem Raj Chandel
Initiated into music at an early age by his mother, Hem Raj ventured into Hindustani Classical Music only in his late teens, training under Dr Ganga Ram Sharma and Dr Neelam Paul of the Delhi and Agra gharanas respectively. At ITC-SRA, he trained under Abdul Rashid Khan of the Gwalior gharana. An M.A. in Music from Punjab University, Chandigarh, Hem Raj broadcasts regularly and is currently a research scholar at Punjab University.

Hrishikesh Purushottam Gangurde
Hailing from Pune, 1982 born Hrishikesh Gangurde was initiated into vocal music at the age of five by his father Shri Purushottam Gangurde. He later received talim for eight years from Dr. Vikas Kashalkar and Pandit Yashwantbua Joshi. While in school and college, he won prizes in classical music competitions and also received scholarships from the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, New Delhi and Dadar Matunga Cultural Centre, Mumbai. For six years from 2000, Hrishikesh was a scholar at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy under the able guidance of Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar. He has also learnt semi classical music from Vidushi Girija Devi. He is now a “B High ” graded performer of All India Radio.
 

	Raga : Hameer

Indrani Mukherjee (nee Chatterjee)
Born in 1974, Indrani was initiated to music by her mother and aunt and groomed by her grandfather Shri Sanjib Bandopadhyay. She was a scholar of ITC-SRA between 1996 and 2001, perfecting her art under the guidance of Pt. Arun Bhaduri.
 

	Raga : Piloo, Kajri

Jagdish Prasad
Jagdish Prasad was initially groomed under the guidance of his father Pandit Badri Prasad, who was the court musician of the former principality of Raigarh, Madhya Pradesh. Later he was under the tutelage of none other than legendary artiste Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan of Patiala gharana. Under the tutelage of both these Gurus, he enriched his repertoire in both classical and semi-classical music and can sing khayal and thumri with equal command.

He joined ITC-SRA in 1977 as a musician-scholar. A gifted musician, he travelled far and wide with the ITC-SRA team. He left the Academy after few years and continues to serve the cause of music. He has performed in all the major conferences held all over the country and has also toured abroad.

Jainul Abedin
Born in 1967 at Bashirhat, a suburb of Kolkata, Jainul Abedin represents the Agra gharana. Initiated into music by Govinda Basu, he later learnt from Arun Kumar Chatterjee, a disciple of Pandit A Kanan. Hailed as a child prodigy, Jainul has been performing successfully in concerts and competitions since the age of 9. In 1978, he came first at a talent search contest organised by the ITC Sangeet Research Academy and became one of its earliest scholars. Jainul received rigorous talim from the doyen of the Agra gharana, Ustad Latafat Hussain Khan, followed by training under Vijay Kichlu and Sunil Bose after the Ustad’s demise and remained a scholar at the Academy until 1999.

Growing up in a musical atmosphere amidst some of the greatest luminaries of Hindustani music, Jainul has also received invaluable guidance from personalities like Pandit K G Ginde and Smt Dipali Nag. He has featured in almost all the major festivals as well as the various ITC Sammelans in the country. He has also toured Canada, USA and Bangladesh. Besides regular performances, Jainul has successfully conducted workshops in India and various cities in Bangladesh. Jainul currently works at the Academy in the Prefect’s Department.

Jayanta Pandey
Jayanta Pandey started his musical training at the tender age of four, under his father Ashis Kumar Pandey and later, Bhismadev Bhattacharya. He was a scholar at ITC SRA between 1980 and 1984 under the guidance of Ajoy Chakrabarty. He later trained under Ustad Munawar Ali Khan and then, Prasun and Meera Bandopadhyay. He received the National Scholarship award in 1990 and is a regular artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan. Jayanta has numerous performances to his credit. From 1995, he has been a staff artist of AIR, Kolkata and is currently continuing his research in the Gayakee of Patiala gharana.
 

	Raga : Bhupali

Jayita Pandey
Initially trained by her father, Ashish Kumar Pandey and brother, Jayanta Pandey, Jayita was a scholar at ITC SRA between 1984 and 1991, from the age of 9, training under Smt. Girija Devi. She later trained under Pt. Rajan Misra and Pt. Kishan Maharaj all of the Banaras Gharana. She has also worked extensively with Kathak maestro, Pt. Birju Maharaj. Topping the All India Radio music competition in 1994, she has been a regular artist of AIR and Doordarshan, Kolkata. Jayita performs regularly and has won accolades for her playback performances for television and cinema. She continues her research on Gayaki of Banaras Gharana and also runs her own music school.

Koushik Bhattacharjee
Initially trained by his father, Pataki Bhattacharjee, Koushik showed talent from a very tender age. For the nearly 13 years that he spent as a scholar at ITC-SRA, he trained under Pt. Arun Bhaduri initially, then under Pt. K.G.Ginde and finally, under Pt. Sunil Bose. After completing his training, Koushik has been performing at numerous concerts, in India, Europe and North America. A regular artiste of All India Radio & Television and an empanelled artist of Indian Council For Cultural Relations, Koushik has also been the recipient of several awards.
www.koushikbhattacharjee.com
 

	Raga : Todi

Kaushiki Desikan (nee Chakrabarty)
Daughter of the world-renowned vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, Kaushiki was born and brought up within the Academy. Her mother, Chandana Chakrabarty initiated her into vocal music, but her formal taalim started at the age of seven when she became a student of the legendary Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh. Later, as a scholar of the Academy, between November 1992 and June 2004, she was groomed by her father and guru, Ajoy Chakrabarty.

Kaushiki’s recitals are marked by maturity far beyond her years, sound musical concepts and remarkable spontaneity. She is gifted with a melodious and flexible voice and has already participated in many major concerts including the Dover Lane Music Conference, the ITC Sangeet Sammelans in India, the Spring Festival of Music (California), Parampara Programme (Los Angeles) and others.
Her outstanding performances have fetched her many awards. The Salt Lake Cultural Association of Calcutta presented her with the “Jadu Bhatta” Award in 1995. Kaushiki received the “Outstanding Young Person” Award from the Rotary Club of Calcutta for 2000 and the BBC Award in 2005.

Maitreyee Roy-Dadarkar
Maitreyee's musical career started from the age of six under the guidance of Pallav Bhadra Roy, disciple of the eminent vocalist late Pandit Prasun Banerjee. She was a scholar at the Academy between June 2001 and January 2006, where she received rigorous talim from her guru, Pandit Arun Bhaduri.

Her many achievements include the 1st position at the competition organised by the Rajya Sangeet Academy, West Bengal in 1998-99 and a 2nd position in the All India Radio competition in 1999. She was also awarded the first prize in the Talent Search Contest organized by the Dover Lane Music Conference in 1997. Apart from performing regularly on AIR and Doordarshan (Kolkata and Mumbai), Maitreyee has featured in concerts organised by Rajya Sangeet Academy, Bangiya Sangeet Parishad, Biswa Banga Sammelan, ITC SRA Presentations and ITC Sangeet Sammelan, Bangalore.
 

	Raga : Kamod

Mashkoor Ali Khan
Mashkoor Ali Khan owes his family lineage to the legendary Ustad Abdul Karim Khan and Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan, the founders of the Kirana Gharana. His father, sarangi-nawaz Ustad Shakoor Khan was the grand nephew of Ustad Bande Ali, Beenkar. After his father’s death, Mashkoor joined the ITC Sangeet Research Academy in 1984 as a musician scholar to further develop his undiluted style of Kirana gayaki. Now as a Guru of the Academy, he nurtures several scholars under his able guidance.
Mashkoor Ali has inherited a veritable treasure of bandishes and rare ragas. An A-graded artist of A.I.R, he has featured in several National Programmes of Akashvani and Doordarshan. He has performed at numerous festivals and conferences in India and abroad and his awards include the Abhinav Kala Sammelan, Master Dinanath Mangeshkar Award, Swaranjali Award, the title of ‘Bandish Nawaz’ and the Ustad Niaz Ahmed Khan and Ustad Faiyaz Ahmed Khan Memorial Award (Kirana Gharana).

Nilanjana Roy
Born into a family of musicians, Nilanjana Roy started learning the nuances of Hindustani Classical Music at a very early age from her mother. For the last 12 years she has been training under Kumar Roy, a noted vocalist of the younger generation of musicians. She joined ITC SRA in 2002 as a General Scholar under Ulhas Kashalkar and has now reached the much-coveted status of a residential Scholar. She has won laurels in several music competitions in Kolkata and has also been awarded a National scholarship from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, in 2002.

Nirmalya Roy
Nirmalya had his early training from Sunirmal Bhattacharya, the late Govinda Prasad Debnath and Pt. Amiya Ranjan Bandopadhyay respectively before he became a scholar of ITC-SRA under Pt. Arun Bhaduri of Rampur gharana. Post his gurukul days, Nirmalya has entered the light music scenario.

Omkar Srikant Dadarkar
Omkar hails from a family of ‘Marathi Natyasangeet’ exponents, and was naturally drawn towards this idiom. He received his initial guidance under his aunt, the noted classical vocalist Manik Verma and thereafter from Ram Deshpande. After being awarded the CCRT scholarship (Delhi) for classical music, he was groomed by Pandit Yashwantbua Joshi. Omkar later won another scholarship from the Dadar-Matunga cultural centre under the scheme of Guru-Shishya-Parampara. A Sangeet Visharad and Bachelor of Arts in Marathi Literature and History, Omkar joined ITC-SRA as a scholar in July 1999, receiving taalim under Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar of Gwalior gharana. He has participated in ITC Sangeet Sammelans at Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai besides other prestigious programmes. Having completed his training at ITC-SRA in June 2005, Omkar is fast gaining recognition as a regular concert performer. Omkar has recently joined the faculty of a music academy in Mumbai.
 

	Raga : Malkauns, Tarana

Pampa Banerjee
Guided by her mother, Pampa Banerjee started her musical training from the age of six and later learnt from Fazal Masi and Sanhita Mazumdar. She has been a Scholar at ITC SRA from 2003, at first under Abdul Rashid Khan, the doyen of the Gwalior gharana and from December 2004 till September 1, 2005 under Shruti Sadolikar of the Jaipur gharana. She has completed her B.Mus. from ‘Pracheen Kala Kendra’, Chandigarh and is a junior diploma holder from the ‘Prayag Sangeet Samiti’ in Allahabad. She has also won a National Scholarship (2002-2003).

Paritosh Pohankar
Belonging to a musical lineage from both his paternal and maternal sides, Paritosh was initially groomed into the classical tradition by Pt. Gokulotsavji Maharaj of Indore Gharana. He then joined ITC SRA, starting as general class student under Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan, and then as an ITC SRA scholar during 2001. At present he is an established artist in Mumbai and has given various concerts all over India.

Parthasarathi Desikan
Born in 1973, Parthasarathi’s interest in learning Hindustani classical vocal music was first induced in by his mother. Consequently he trained under the meticulous care of Smt. Dipti Mukherjee. He began performing at a young age and his participation in the Junior Talent Programme and the All Bengal Competition, organized by the West Bengal State Music Academy, brought him recognition as he achieved first position. He also secured first position in Bhajan and second position in Khayal at the A.I.R music competition. Partha proved his mettle when he was selected as a scholar of ITC-SRA where he was nurtured carefully by Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty between 1992 and 1998.

Prasad Gulavani
Born in 1965, Prasad Gulavani hails from a family with a musical tradition. Initiated by his father, Madhukar Gulavani, a vocalist of the Jaipur gharana, Prasad has also been trained by Pandit Prabhakar Deshkar of Nagpur. He was a scholar of ITC SRA under Pandit Nivruttibua Sarnaik. A B-high graded artist of All India Radio, he has performed at numerous concerts including AIR Sangeet Sabhas and ITC Sangeet Sammelans. He is presently a staff artist of All India Radio, Ratnagiri.

Prasad Khaparde
Born in 1973, Prasad, early in life, came under the guidance of eminent gurus Shri D V Phanke and Smt Sumantai Chaudhuri of Amaravati. He was a regular participant of competitions and conferences all over India. After completing his master’s degree in music, he joined ITC SRA as a general class student in 1996 under the tutelage of Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan of Gwalior gharana and later became a scholar under Ustad Rashid Khan. A winner of the All India Radio music competition, he received the Navras Records Award in 1998.

Prashant Samaddar
Born in 1974, Prashant was initially trained by Chinmoy Lahiri. On the untimely death of his guru, he joined ITC-SRA as a student, training under Ananth Vidyanathan. After becoming a scholar in 1996, he was guided by Ulhas Kashalkar. He left the Academy in 1997.

Rajyasree Ghosh
Initiated into Hindustani vocal music at a tender age, Rajyasree was a gold medalist both in her B.A and M.A. in khayal, from the Rabindra Bharati University. She later became a scholar at the ITC SRA, under the able tutelage of Girija Devi and Arun Bhaduri and subsequently, K.G. Ginde. Gifted with a powerful yet melodious voice, Rajyasree teaches music at Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata.

Ram Deshpande
Initiated and trained by a number of renowned musicians like Pandit Prabhakar Deshkar, Ram Deshpande later trained under Yeshwantbuva Joshi and for a short while, as a scholar at ITC SRA in 1992, under Ulhas Kashalkar. Though generally a singer of the Gwalior and Jaipur gharanas, Ram also receives guidance from Babbanrao Haldankar of the Agra Gharana. He is a doctorate in music and an ‘A’ graded artist of AIR and Doordarshan.

Raghav Chatterjee
Initiated into music by his mother Smt Shila Chatterjee, Raghav trained under Dr. Amiya Ranjan Bandyopadhyay before joining ITC Sangeet Research Academy in 1993 as a general class student. In August 1996 he became a scholar under Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty. A finalist of the Pandit Ravi Kichlu Golden Talent Contest 1994, he left the Academy in 1997.

Ranjani Ramachandran
Ranjani Ramachandran's formal training began in 1988 under the highly respected Kanpur artiste, the (late) Pandit Kashinath Shankar Bodas. In 1993 she moved to Pune to study under renowned vocalist Smt. Veena Sahasrabuddhe. She was a scholar of ITC-SRA between August 2001 and March 2006, under the able guidance of Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar. In addition, Ranjani has also enhanced her repertoire with thumri and dadra under the guidance of the veteran Vidushi Girija Devi. Ranjani has given numerous performances in India and abroad. She has a master's degree in music from Lalit Kala Kendra, Pune in 1999, where she was ranked first in her graduating class. A graded artist of All India Radio since 2001, she has received the Young Artist Scholarship for Hindustani Classical Music from the Ministry of Human Resource Development for 1998-2000 and the Junior Research Fellowship from the University Grants Commission since November 2006. Under a University Grants Commission Fellowship, Ranjani has recently joined the Centre for Performing Arts, University of Pune as a research scholar, pursuing a PhD in music.
 

	Raga : Multani

Rashid Khan
AA child prodigy, the immensely gifted Rashid Khan joined ITC-SRA with his grand uncle Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan, one the greatest maestros of the Rampur Sahaswan Gharana. Though the young Rashid initially showed little or no interest in music, his tutelage under his illustrious grand uncle, changed the course of his life.

Rashid was six years old when Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan intuitively perceived his latent potential. The Ustad decided to nurture his grand nephew’s musical sensitivity in the traditional Guru Shishya Parampara – first at Badaun (Uttar Pradesh), where Rashid was born and thereafter at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy in Kolkata. Rashid became a scholar at the Academy in April 1980 when he was barely 14. The long and arduous training under his guru made Rashid a perfect exponent of the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana. He remained a scholar under the tutelage of Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan until the latter’s demise in 1993. He then became a ‘scholar musician’. Finally, from 1994 to 1998, he was a guru and a part of the teaching faculty at the Academy

Rashid became a Top Grade artiste of All India Radio in his very first audition, and has never looked back since. He has won accolades for all the aspects of his musical performance – voice, phrasing, virtuosity and sensitivity. The fine balance between his technical virtuosity and artistic creativity has amazed connoisseurs. He has performed in an endless list of prestigious concerts, in the greatest of festivals in the country and abroad.

Though a loyal and proud member of the Rampur Sahaswan Gharana, Rashid has always been prepared to learn and incorporate the best from other gharanas into his renditions. Still, his singing bears a distinctive stamp that is his very own, grand and majestic, yet soul-stirringly pure and simple. On Republic Day, 2006, he was awarded the Padmashree. He has recently been nominated for the Sanget Natak Akademi award for 2006.

Ruby Mallik
For a decade, prior to her joining the Academy as a scholar in 1980, Ruby was initiated into music and trained by first the Late Shabbir Ahmed Khan and then under the Late Yunus Hussain Khan. During her 8-year stint with ITC SRA, Ruby received advanced training in Agra Gharana Gayaki from Latafat Hussain Khan. She has since been awarded a doctorate in music , having written a thesis on her last Ustadji. At present she is based in Trinidad, sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, as vocal teacher-cum-performer at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute.

Ruchira Kale
Ruchira Kale received her initial training from her father. She started learning both the classical and semi-classical forms of Hindustani vocal music when she was 14, from Alka Deo Marulkar, a vocalist of the Jaipur gharana. She went on to top the All India Radio Music Competition in 1999 and subsequently bagged the National Talent Search Scholarship from the Government of India in 2000. She has performed in major concerts in India and has also toured the USA and Canada in 2002. She was a scholar at the ITC SRA between June 2003 and December 2006, under the guidance of the veteran vocalist Ulhas Kashalkar.

Rupashree Bhattacharya
Having learnt from her musician father Durga Chandra Bhattacharya and then from Ashit Bandopadhyay, Shipra Bose and Sanjay Chakrabarty, Rupashree was an ITC-SRA scholar between 1996 and 2002, training under Ajoy Chakraborty of the Patiala gharana. Noticing her innate talent in playing the harmonium, her guru gradually guided her through the intricacies and exacting standards of accompaniment. Maturing into a sensitive and unobtrusive accompanist, she has been a faculty member of ITC Sangeet Research Academy since 2002. A B-High graded artiste of All India Radio, Rupashree regularly broadcasts ‘Shyama Sangeet’ and ‘Bhajan’.

Sabina Mumtaz Islam
Born in 1975, Sabina was initially groomed by her father Shri Nurul Islam, and later learnt from Pandit Aloke Chatterjee in Guwahati. An honours graduate in English Literature from Cotton College, Guwahati University, she passed “Sangeet Visharad” from Bhatkhande Sangeet Vidyapith , Lucknow, in 1988. She set foot in the world of ITC-SRA under the guidance of one of the academy’s senior-most scholars, Jainul Abedin. She was at first a general class student under Pandit Sunil Bose of the Agra gharana, and then a scholar under Smt Subhra Guha, also of the Agra gayaki from 1999. She remained with the Academy till January 2003.

A winner of several competitions and scholarships, apart from khayal, Sabina also sings thumri, dadra, kajri, tappa in the “poorab ang”. An approved artist of AIR and Doordarshan, Guwahati, Assam, she has performed at several prestigious concerts in different cities of India. In 2006 she went on a performance tour of USA.
 

	Raga : Bahar

Sadhana Deshmukh Mohite
Sadhana Deshmukh Mohite’s initiation started with D V Pandke and continued with M Sumantai Chowdhary. She was awarded a gold medal for her Masters in music. A Government of India senior scholarship holder, and a gold medalist in the All India Radio Classical Music Competition, she joined ITC-SRA in 1992 to further develop her style under the guidance of Ulhas Kashalkar. She relocated to Gwalior in 1999, but continues to be in touch with her guru and the Academy. Sadhana has also trained in tappa and ashtapadi under the eminent Pt.Bala Saheb Poochwale of the Gwalior Gharana. A regular concert performer, she has performed not only in India but also overseas.
 

	Raga : Gaud Sarang

Samaresh Chowdhury
Initiated and trained by his father Amaresh Chowdhury, Samaresh joined ITC-SRA as a scholar in 1978 and developed into a mature musician. He now teaches music at the Ramkrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Narendrapur, West Bengal.

Sandip Ghosh
Born in 1954, Sandip Ghosh started his training in Indian classical music at Sangeet Bharati, Calcutta, under the guidance of Late Sri Sukhendu Goswami in the year 1970. Later, he found his guru and mentor in Pandit A. Kanan, with whom he began his talim in 1974. From 1980 to 1990, he was a scholar of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata, also under the tutelage of Pandit Kanan. Here he supplemented his training with guidance from late Pandit K G Ginde. Apart from classical music, he is also well versed in Rabindra Sangeet and other forms of Indian vocal music.

He has performed in many music conferences both in India and abroad. His performances in USA and Canada in 1988 won him the Honorary Citizenship of Baltimore and Maryland, presented to him by the Mayor of the City of Baltimore and the Governor of the State of Maryland. He is also a regular performer of All India Radio and Television

Sanjoy Banerjee
Sanjoy was at first a general class student and then a scholar at ITC SRA between 1998 and 2001 under the able guidance of Vidushi Malabika Kanan of Kirana gharana. Sanjoy divides his time between his performances, scoring music, experimenting with fusion music using Hindustani classical music and teaching vocal music. He is presently a visiting teacher at the American Academy of Indian Classical Music in New York and at schools in Derby, UK and is currently doing a lot of concerts in those parts of the world.
www.sanjoybanerjee.com

Sanjukta Biswas
Born in 1978, Sanjukta Biswas hails from Chakdaha, a small town of Nadia District, West Bengal. Initiated into music by her father, Bharat Chandra Biswas, she was further trained by Amalendu Pal and Kalyan Guhathakurta. A 1st class Graduate with Honours in vocal music from Rabindra Bharti University, Kolkata, she joined ITC-SRA in 1994 as a general class student and went on to become a scholar in 1999, training under her Guru, Vidushi Subhra Guha of the Agra gharana.

An approved artiste of All India Radio and Doordarshan, she has performed at Kolkata and at nearly all the major cities of the country as well as on private television channels. Apart from khayals sung in the Agra style, she also sings thumri, dadra, kajri in the “poorab ang”. In 2002, she bagged the 1st position in the AIR competition for Hindustani vocal music. She also won the much-coveted ITC SRA Award for Promising Artistes given by ITC SRA (West) and Music Forum, Mumbai and is a national scholarship holder as well. Sanjukta remained with ITC SRA till January 2003.
 

	Raga : Chhaya Nat

Satya Narayan Mishra
Born in Varanasi in May, 1961, Satya Narayan Mishra is a descendant of both the Senia as well as Banaras gharanas. He was initially trained by his illustrious father, Pandit Shrichandra Mishra, and then by Smt. Girija Devi, after his father’s death. He became a scholar of ITC SRA in 1978. He also holds a Masters degree in vocal music and Hindi literature. A recipient of several awards including the Surmani award (1991) and Saptarshi Samman (1995), ‘Sattu Bhaiya’ is a regular performer. He is also a poet, writer and composer, having worked with Kelucharan Mohapatra, Birju Maharaj and other eminent artistes of India. At present he works in the vocal department of Bhatkhande Music College, Dehradun.
 

	Raga : Jaunpuri

Shantanu Bhattacharyya
Shantanu Bhattacharyya was initiated into music first by his mother, and later learned from Pandit Sukhendu Goswami, Pandit Prasun Banerjee and Vidushi Meera Banerjee. He became a scholar of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy in 1994 and came under the guidance of Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty. Leaving the academy in 1997, he has perfected himself into a musician aiming to combine the best of all styles, focusing centrally on the gayaki of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.

A Calcutta University Graduate with Honours in Economics, Shantanu is an ‘A’ graded artiste of All India Radio and Doordarshan and has performed at the National Programme. A winner of several music competitions, including the A.I.R music competition, where in 1989 he topped both in khayal and .thumri, he has performed at most of the major music festivals in the country. He has also toured USA, UK, France, Germany and Finland, and has several CD & cassette releases of khayal, thumri and bhajan, as well as his own music compositions on Yoga & Meditation. Presently he is a research consultant of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Calcutta.
 

	Raga : Shudh Sarang

Shirshendu Mukherjee
Shirshendu received his initial training from Chandana Chakrabarty and later, Shantanu Bhattacharya, the latter himself being an ex-scholar of the Academy. He then became a General Class student of the Academy under Ajoy Chakrabarty and went on to become a scholar under his guru in June 2004. He is a B-high graded artiste of All India Radio and has featured in numerous programmes. At present he is working towards a Masters degree in Music.

Saswati (Banerjee) Choudhury
Born in 1964, Saswati started her musical journey under Pandit A. Kanan at the age of six. She joined the ITC Sangeet Research Academy as a general class student in 1979 and became a scholar in 1982. Shri Sukhdev Mukherjee, Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan and other eminent personalities have also contributed to her musical career. A regular broadcaster from 1999, she has also performed at various venues in India. Gifted with a melodious voice, she is also a reputed teacher, presently on the faculty of ‘Gurukul’ (Shakri Begum Memorial Trust).

Shashank Maktedar
Shashank Maktedar began learning classical music from his father, Shamrao Maktedar. Armed with a Masters degree in Music and several awards, including the first prize in the All India Radio Music Competition held in 1987, Shashank participated in the ITC SRA’s National Talent Competition held in 1991. Topping the competition, Shashank joined ITC SRA in 1992 as a residential scholar. He began his training under Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar. Awarded the Jadu Bhatta Puraskar in 1996, Shashank emerged from the Academy in 2000 but continues to seek guidance from his guru from time to time.

Blessed with a melodious voice, he has performed at numerous prestigious music conferences all over India and abroad. In recognition of his performance, he has been awarded the Kala Kiran Award for upcoming musicians by the Aditya Birla Foundation, Mumbai, as well as the Ramkrishna Vaze Bua Puraskar by the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Pune. At present Shashank is on the faculty of the Goa College of Music.
 

	Raga : Basant

Shirin Sengupta (nee Nath)
Born in 1973, Shirin Nath learnt music under gurus Shri Debi Ranjan Banerjee, Pandit Dinanath Misra, Pandit A. Kanan and Pandit Arun Bhaduri. She became a scholar of ITC-SRA in 1996 and started training under Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar. A bright student of the Academy, she left in 2000 after tying the knot with an upcoming musician. A recipient of the President's Award for securing first position in both khayal and ragapradhan (light classical) category at the All India Radio Music Competition, 1993, Shirin studied Music from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata and topped both her graduation and post graduation exams. Shirin has been performing worldwide since 2000 & has performed in major music festivals & venues in USA, Canada, and all over Europe. Her recital was broadcast from Swiss Radio Station in 2002.

link : http://www.shirinsengupta.com
 

	Raga : Poorva

Soumalya Chakraborty
Born in December 1982, Soumalya Chakraborty was initiated into Hindustani vocal classical music by his father, Sajal Chakraborty. By the age of eight, he developed an interest in the sitar and was initially trained by Harasankar Bhattacharya. In 2000, he began training under Pandit Kushal Das, torchbearer of the Maihar gharana. A commerce graduate of Kolkata University, he became a general class student of the ITC SRA from December 2005 and later was a scholar under Pandit Manilal Nag for a short while. Soumalya stood first in the All India Radio music competition in 2006 and was awarded the National Scholarship in 2006-2007. In January 2007 he was awarded the Sri Ravi Koppikkar Memorial Award instituted by the International Foundation for the Fine Arts, Mumbai. He is currently undergoing further training under Pandit Kushal Das.

Subhra Guha
Subhra Guha joined the Academy in 1984 as a research scholar, she was trained by Pt.Sunil Bose, the veteran of the Agra gharana. Subhra also received guidance from Pt.K.G. Ginde,Pt. D.T. Joshi and Pt.V.K. Kichlu while she was a scholar at ITC SRA. She later became a guru of the Academy from 1992 and remained here till 2003. Subhra has been performing regularly at prestigious platforms both in India and the USA. She also has teaching assignments in the US and has also performed in various countries in Europe and Asia. She has also gained recognition for her thumri renditions in the poorab ang.

Suchismita Das
Suchismita was initiated into music by her mother. As a child, she received guidance from Kalyan Guhathakurta, an able disciple of Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty. She joined ITC-SRA in 1990 as a general class student under the tutelage of Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty and became a scholar in 1992. The recipient of several awards, she left the Academy in 2002. She has participated in vocal recitals throughout India. For some years now she has also been performing regularly in concerts, conducting music workshops, as well as giving lectures in the United States and Canada. Suchismita's album releases include Bhajans, Bangla Adhunik and Nazrul Geeti. Recently she has sung two songs for the world-renowned lyricist Gulzar.

Sumana Gupta
Initially trained by Pt. Amaresh Chowdhury and Shri Kashinath Chakraborty, Sumana initially joined the Academy as a General Class student in 1997. She went on to become a scholar training initially under Subhra Guha of the Agra gharana. She is currently under the guidance of Pt. Ajoy Chakrabarty, the guru of the Patiala gharana at ITC SRA.

Tejaswini Amrutrao Khode
Initially trained by Sumantai Chaudhuri (Amarawati) at the age of 12, Tejaswini later received guidance from Alka-Deo-Marulkar of Pune and subsequently, Hemant Pendase. Holding degrees in music and the Performing Arts, Tejaswini has also been awarded several scholarships, including a National Scholarship. She was a scholar of the Academy for a short while, from November 2003, where she trained under Shruti Sadolikar.

Teja Chandrakant Kale
Teja Chandrakant Kale is a Sanskrit graduate, who joined the Academy as a general class student in May, 2005 and was guided by Shrimati Shruti Sadolikar Katkar. Her father is a Marathi theatre artiste while her mother plays the tabla. A winner of several prizes in school and college, she went on to become a scholar at the Academy between May 2006 and early July 2007.
 

Tushar Dutta
Tushar Dutta began learning the fundamentals of Indian classical music from Shri Bimal Mitra at an early age. He also learnt from Shri Santosh Choudhury of Natore, Bangladesh and Pandit Vishnu Sebak Mishra of Malda. He joined ITC Sangeet Research Academy in 1983, coming under the tutelage of Pandit A Kanan and later of Shri Arun Bhaduri, as a general class student. Later, as a scholar in 1992, he became a Gandabandh Shagird of Pandit K G Ginde, after whose demise he took advanced talim from Pandit Sunil Bose of the Agra gharana. He left the Academy in 1999, to explore the world on his own.

Tushar has won several competitions and received several awards including the National Scholarship. Since 1996 he has been an A-grade khayal performer of All India Radio and has also sung for the National programme. Equally adept at singing bhajans, he is a regular radio performer and has cassette releases to his credit. Tushar has been performing regularly in various parts of India and has also performed in the USA, Canada and UK. In 2004 he participated in the World Music Festival held in Spain.
 

	Raga : Bageshree

Vijaya Jadhav Gatlewar
Initiated by her father Dinkar V Jadhav, Vijaya came to ITC-SRA as a scholar in 1978 under the expert guidance of Nivrittibua Sarnaik and continued to learn for over fifteen years. From this association springs Vijaya's awareness of what is most subtle and beautiful in the style of Jaipur gharana. She performs regularly and presently resides at Mumbai.

Waseem Khan
Waseem Khan belongs to the Agra gharana musicians and took his initial lessons from late Ata Hussain Khan and Naseem Ahmed Khan respectively. He was, till recently, an ITC-SRA scholar under Shafi Ahmed Khan. He is a regular performer of All India Radio.