Anjan Chattopadhyay
Encyclopedia
Anjan Chattopadhyay, the sitar
player, born in a Bengal
i aristocratic family in Calcutta
, India
, was initiated to the art of sitar playing by his elder brother, a veteran Surbahar
player, Pandit Gourisankar Chattopadhyay, a disciple of Pandit Birendra Kishore Roy Chowdhury. In addition to that he started taking further training from Kalyani Roy, a reputed sitarist and one of the few disciples of Ustad Vilayat Khan
. He also had lessons in vocal music from late Muktipada Datta, a representative of Agra Gharana. Anjan also learned tabla under the late Ustad Shaukat Ali Khan of Farukhabad gharana. Anjan lives in Calcutta and teaches music.
The chronology of awards are as follows:
Sitar
The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
player, born in a Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
i aristocratic family in Calcutta
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, was initiated to the art of sitar playing by his elder brother, a veteran Surbahar
Surbahar
Surbahar , sometimes known as bass sitar, is a plucked string instrument used in the Hindustani classical music of North India. It is closely related to sitar, but it has a lower tone. Depending on the instrument's size, it is usually pitched two to five whole steps below the standard sitar, but...
player, Pandit Gourisankar Chattopadhyay, a disciple of Pandit Birendra Kishore Roy Chowdhury. In addition to that he started taking further training from Kalyani Roy, a reputed sitarist and one of the few disciples of Ustad Vilayat Khan
Vilayat Khan
Ustad Vilayat Khan was one of India's well known sitar maestros, born in Gauripur in Mymensingh, Bengal...
. He also had lessons in vocal music from late Muktipada Datta, a representative of Agra Gharana. Anjan also learned tabla under the late Ustad Shaukat Ali Khan of Farukhabad gharana. Anjan lives in Calcutta and teaches music.
Performance
Anjan has performed in hundreds of concerts in India and abroad. Among them worthy of mentions are some of his concerts in India :- The Dover Lane Music Conference,
- India International Center, New Delhi,
- All India Music Festival,
- Kal-Ke- Kalakar Music Conference, Mumbai,
- Salt Lake Music Conference,
- National Council of Performing Arts, Mumbai,
- West Bangal Government State Music Academy,
- Indian Council For Cultural RelationsIndian Council for Cultural RelationsThe Indian Council for Cultural Relations , is an autonomous organisation of the Government of India, involved in India’s external cultural relations, through cultural exchange with other countries and their peoples...
, - Alliance Francaise,
- Ustad Bahadur Khan Music Conference,
- Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram,
- South Bengal Music Conference,
- Ustad Keramatullah Khan Memorial Conference,
- Bhartiya Sanskriti Parishad, Nagpur
- Jhankar Music Circle,Kolkata,
- Swami Haridas Music Conference,
- Shree Aurobindo Ashram. Calcutta,
- Raipur Music festival, M.P.,
- Ustad Amir Khan Music Conference. Calcutta,
- Swar Sadhna Samiti. Mumbai,
- Sur Singar Samsad Mumbai,
- Kalabharati, Mumbai,
- Pandit Montu Banerjee memorial music conference,
- Sangeet Natak Academy, Lucknow,
- Sankalp Music Festival. Sagar, M.P.
- Guru Poornima Festival, Patna,
- Sangati Center,
- Camp Vatsayan, Benaras, etc. etc.
Awards, Honors
In his musical career, Anjan has got numerous awards, and felicitations.The chronology of awards are as follows:
- In 1986, he was awarded the first prize in All India Music Competition organized by the State Music Academy of West Bengal Government.
- In 1987, he was felicitated with the title ‘SURMANI’ after performing at Kal-Ke-Kalakar music festival in Mumbai.
- In 1988, he was awarded with the title ‘Sangeet Visharad’ by Pracheen Kalakendra, Chandigarh. In the same year he got ‘Sangeet Kriya Visharad’ title from Sourav Academy Board, Kolkata. On this occasion, the renowned Violinist Padmabhushan Pandit V.G.Jog felicitated him after his concert.
- In 1990, during his tour to U.S.A, the Academy of Indian Music and Fine Arts and University of Maryland, Baltimore County felicitated him with the certificate of Achievement.
- In that year he got the opportunity to be honored with the GOVERNOR’S CITATION from the Honorable Governor of New Jersey – Mr James FlorioJames FlorioJames Joseph "Jim" Florio is a Democratic politician who served as the 49th Governor of New Jersey from 1990 to 1994, the first Italian American to hold the position...
. - In 1994, Padmabhushan Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh, one of the music legends of India, proclaimed Anjan as ‘one of the most talented young sitar players of India”.
- Swar-Sadhna Samity of Mumbai and Rotary Club of Lake Green Kolkata, honored him on his enthralling performances.
- In 2004, Anjan received ‘GOVERNOR’S CITATION’ from Mr.Robert EhrlichRobert EhrlichRobert Leroy "Bob" Ehrlich, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 60th Governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007. A Republican, he became governor after defeating Democratic opponent Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a member of the Kennedy family, 51% to 48% in the 2002 elections...
, the honourable Governor of the State of Maryland after performing his sitar recital in presence of the honourable Senator Mr Paul SarbanesPaul SarbanesPaul Spyros Sarbanes , a Democrat, is a former United States Senator who represented the state of Maryland. Sarbanes was the longest-serving senator in Maryland history, having served from 1977 until 2007. He did not seek re-election in 2006, when he was succeeded by fellow Democrat Ben Cardin...
. - In 2005, Anjan has been awarded with Swami HaridasSwami HaridasSwami Haridas was a spiritual poet and classical musician. Credited with a large body of devotional compositions, especially in the Dhrupad style, he is also the founder of the Haridasi school of mysticism, still found today in North India. His work influenced both the classical music and the...
Samman award given by Surabithi College of Music, Calcutta. - In 2006, Anjan has been honored with Ustad Vilayat KhanVilayat KhanUstad Vilayat Khan was one of India's well known sitar maestros, born in Gauripur in Mymensingh, Bengal...
Music Award given by Geetichakra college, Chandannagar, West Bengal. - In 2007 January Anjan has been selected for Michael Madhusudan DuttMichael Madhusudan DuttMichael Madhusudan Dutt or Michael Madhusudan Dutta was a popular 19th century Bengali poet and dramatist. He was born in Sagardari , on the bank of Kopotaksho [কপোতাক্ষ] River, a village in Keshobpur Upozila, Jessore District, East Bengal . His father was Rajnarayan Dutt, an eminent lawyer, and...
award for his contribution to Indian Classical Music.
Discs
- Indian Classical Music Sitar :::: EBI India
- Moods :::: Octave Music India
- Sunset :::: Aim Records
- Monsoon Raga :::: Aim Records
- Raagmala :::: VMR, India
- Melodies for the Soul ::: AIMREC. USA
See also
- Pandit Ravi Shankar
- Ustad Vilayat KhanVilayat KhanUstad Vilayat Khan was one of India's well known sitar maestros, born in Gauripur in Mymensingh, Bengal...