GURU SMRUTI / गुरू स्मृति
A Concert by Shree Mallar Bhattacharya (Sarod)
and Shree Kuntal Roy (Tabla)
Shri Mallar Bhattacharya is a sarode player of the Maihar Gharana. A disciple of Ustad Aashish Khan and Swara Samrat Ali Akbar Khan, Mallar has captivated audiences worldwide with his mastery of the instrument and his profound musicality. With roots deeply embedded in the rich tradition of dhrupad-inspired instrumental music, he is a celebrated artist known for his soulful performances. Mallar's music is deeply traditional, with a focus on raga as the supreme melodic entity determining the mood and impact of the music. He is an expert in the shrutis—the microtonal identities of notes that impart the unique fingerprint of each raga. Mallar has performed at prestigious venues and festivals across the globe, enchanting listeners with his ability to convey deep emotions through the sarode. In addition to his performances, Mallar is committed to preserving and promoting Indian classical music. He is a member of the board of the Ali Akbar College of Music and has conducted numerous workshops and masterclasses, sharing his knowledge and inspiring the next generation of musicians. His efforts to bridge cultural gaps through music have been widely recognized, making him a respected figure in the global music community.
Mallar's recent classical recordings can be heard at his YouTube artist page:
https://music.youtube.com/channel/UC1oPdITxf6UxkVCwv1f7e9Q
He is also a leader in the fusion music world, with his breakout band Ragamenco currently releasing singles this year towards their first album:
Shri Kuntal Roy is an internationally renowned maestro in the field of Indian Classical Tabla. Originally from Kolkata, now he extensively tours and performs around the world. Over the last two decades, he has presented numerous tabla solo as well as accompaniment concerts with various vocalists, instrumentalists, and dancers around the world. He is well known for presenting a rich repertoire of music in both traditional as well as in a modern manner, while respecting the various Gharana traditions from tabla. Along with the repertoire, his presentations focus on contributions of rhythm to melody, tonal clarity and precision.
He received his training from none other than the legendary tabla acharya Pandit Shankar Ghosh, well respected for his extensive research in tabla and the field of rhythm. He also received his earlier training from Shri Narayan Chandra Haldar and Shri Radha Raman Nath.
