Venue: Different parts of India
Duration: Varied
Highlights: Presents the best talents of Indian classical music
ITC Sangeet Sammelan was started in the year 1971 in Delhi. With span of time, it has become one of the most prestigious events of Indian classical music. Along with this, it is one of the most important cultural events of India. The music festival has been appreciated by music lovers across the country. ITC Sangeet Sammelan is held all over India once a year. Many renowned singers and musicians come here to participate in various events that are organized in this festival. Usually, a significant cash award is given to the oldest performer or musician during the festival as an honorable gesture. This music festival is regarded as one of the most popular cultural events of India.
History
ITC Sangeet Research Academy was founded in 1978 with the purpose of preserving and encouraging Indian classical music. Several great and famous musicians and the Gurus of India have been attached with this academy since its foundation. Satyajeet Ray, the leading filmmaker was one of the trustees of this academy. Some of those popular musicians are Hirabai Barodekar (Kirana), Nissar Hussai Khan (Rampur Sahaswan), Nivruttibua Sarnaik (Jaipur), Latafat Hussain Khan (Agra), Ajoy Chakraborty (Patiala) and Ulhas Kashalkar (Gwalior). ITC Sangeet Research Academy has also made a chain of artists such as Ajoy Chakraborty, Rashid Khan, Shubhra Guha, Kaushiki Chakraborty, Shashank Maktedar, Omkar Dadarkar, Samarth Nagarkar, Arshad Ali Khan, Shantanu Bhattacharya, Anirudh Bhattacharya, Abir Hussain (Sarod), SupratikSen Gupta (Sitar) and many more.The Gurus for the instrumental section of the academy are Pandit Buddhadev Dasgupta (Sarod) and Pandit Manilal Nag (Sitar).
Types of Music
Talented Indian classical musicians and the instrumentalists from all over the country come here to perform. It includes every kind of Indian classical music. In this festival, famous tabla, mridangam, sarangi, veena and other instrumentalists come and mesmerize the audience with their skillful performances. Musicians of different genres such as Dhrupad, Dhamar, Khayal, Tarana, Thumri, Dadra, Qawali and Ghazal present their masterpiece in this festival. Some of the instrumentalists which are associated with this academy are D. K. Datar, who is one of the India's leading violinists of present time, belongs to the virtuous tradition set up by the great personality Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar, Pandit Manilal Nag, the sitar player who is from the fifth generation of Nag family (the family of instrumentalists) of the Vishnupur Gharana of Bengal and Subhra Guha, who is one of the leading lady singers of the present time. Her style is a combination of feminine appeal with masculine magnificence of the Agra Gharana.
Spread of Festival
ITC Sangeet Sammelan organized by ITC Sangeet Research Academy has stimulated the Indian classical music scenario with a new vivacity. The academy's credentials and study of verbal traditions have added more significance to the education of music. This festival represents the pure relationship between a master (guru) and a dedicated student (shishya). It also indicates the complete intellectual, spiritual and emotional bonding of both, a master and a student. ITC Sangeet Sammelan became popular across the country and people come from all over the country to attend this grand festival comprised with pure Indian classical music.
