JAYANTA BANERJEE - Bansuri
AVIRODH SHARMA - Tabla

About Jayanta Banerjee
‘.. It was lyric, soulful, twenty-five minute presentation, with no break. Match that to any Western Classical Symphony ! ….Jayanta Banerjee is certainly a master of his difficult instrument. ..He made this a memorable evening….’ — William Allin Storrer in ‘Classical New Jersey’

Awards:
• Prestigious Title of SURMANI (Jewel of Music) by Sur Shingar Samsad, Mumbai.
• ABHINAV SWARNA SAMMAN by Abhinav Kala Parishad, Bhopal.

Lineage and Work:
• Aftab-e-Sitar Ustad Vilayat Khan’s Only Ganda-bandh disciple of Bansuri,
• Only Indian Bansuri Player to play duet concerts with Jazz legend of USA, David Liebman with rave reviews by US critics,
• Only Bansuri Player to learn from Great Masters of Three Great Gharanas of Hindustani Music : Imdadkhani Itawa Gharana, Gwalior Gharana, and Maihar Gharana.
• Disciple of last direct descendant of Gwalior Gharana Pandit Balasaheb Poochwale,
• Disciple of Pandit Ravi Garud and Pandit Devendra Murdeshwar, the son-in-law and chief disciple of Bansuri pioneer Pannalal Ghosh of Maihar Gharana),
• In-depth guidance from Pandit Ramdas Moongre (disciple of Pandit Kumar Gandharva),
• Guidance from great Beenkar (Veena Player) and doyen of Dagar Dhrupad Gharana Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Khan Dagar.
• Initial training in music from father Late Shri Purna Ranjan Banerjee (disciple of Pandit Girijashankar Chakravarty & Pandit Jamini Ganguly of Kolkata) and uncle Pandit Bijoy Ranjan Banerjee (disciple of Sangeetacharya Pandit Tarapada Chakravarty of Kotali Gharana)

• Performances at various major music festivals in India and abroad (list can be provided on demand). Garnered attention of the Western as well as Indian Media (major press reviews listed below).
• Regular broadcasts from All India Radio till travel to the United States in the year 1998.
• Award winning Information Technology Manager with over 21 years experience managing, architecting and implementing Global Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Solutions for Fortune 500 companies like Verizon, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Mercedes-Benz, Philips, Merck, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Hospitals & Healthcare Corporation-City of New York, etc.

SELECTED PRESS QUOTES & COMMENTS
'In keeping with the festive week, Mr. Banerjee announced that the opening piece, Desh, would be a festive work, not the usual serious piece with which typical Indian Classical concerts begin, in the Hindustani tradition. Festive, not "light". It was lyric, soulful, twenty-five minute presentation, with no break. Match that to any Western Classical Symphony! ....Jayanta Banerjee is certainly a master of his difficult instrument --- a bamboo flute....He made this a memorable evening....'. - William Allin Storrer in Classical New Jersey
'Breaking down musical barriers…' - Jim Beckerman in Here and Now : NJ Arts for The Sunday Record
'I have formed a relationship with a wonderful Indian flute (bansuri) player, Jayanta Banerjee, who is studying at present with the famous sitarist, Vilayet Khan. - David Liebman in his newsletter Intervals, (American Saxophonist & Flutist, National Endowment of the Arts Masters of Jazz (2011) awardee (the highest honor granted for jazz in the U.S.), Two times Grammy Nominee)
'Jayanta Banerjee gave a commendable performance....' - celebrated Music Critic Batuk Diwanji in The Times of India, Mumbai
'Flautist Jayanta Bandyopadhyay played an exhilarating gat in Jaijayanti with tabalia Mallar Ghosh complementing him. A lilting dhun in Raga Purab left a lasting impression..' - The Telegraph, Kolkata
'Banerjee presented two ragas 'Yeman' and 'Des' on his flute. The tone of his flute was well defined, sharp and pleasing. His recital had a relaxed 'Chaindari'...' - Indian Express, Mumbai
'Flutist enthralls audience....The caressing resonant aalap in raga Deepawali on the flute created an atmosphere of pathos in its ascending notes and that of reassurance in its descending ones when Jayanta Banerjee sat down to give his solo performance...' - The Sun Times
'Jayanta put up a great show..... It was musically pure nectar...' - Indian Express, Bhuvaneswar
'Jayanta Banerjee mesmerized the packed auditorium with raga Marwa. All along the pathetic feeling in this Aalap, Jod and two compositions in Madhyalaya Roopak and Drut Trital spelt magic...' - Nai Dunia
'Excellent rendition of raga Yaman. His 'meends' (deep glides of notes) remind one of Dhrupad-Ang aalap on the Veena. The composition in Jhaptal was brilliantly woven... The concluding Pilu was the romantic finale...' - Sangeet
'New Jersey based software consultant Jayanta Banerjee also plays flute with equal ease. Having performed in Delhi, Bhuvaneshwar and Mumbai, he was recently on home ground for .. solo concert. He has also performed in the fusion concerts with popular saxophonist David Liebman and is a regular performer in the United States...' - The Times of India, Kolkata

MAJOR PERFORMANCES
• Abhinav Kala Parishad and 'AASPAAS' – Anhad, Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal, • 'TRI SWARA' – Maihar Music Festival celebrating 150th Birth Anniversary of Ud. Alauddin Khan, Swami Vivekananda, and Gurudev Ravindranath Tagore, Maihar, India. Performance alongside legendary artists like GRAMMY Award Winner Pt Vishwamohan Bhat, Eldest son of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan Ustad Ashish Khan, Pt Nayan Ghosh, Pt Kartick Kumar etc., • '75th Birth Anniversary of Ud. Vilayat Khan', Nicklaus Auditorium-Rutgers University, New Jersey USA.
Performance alongside the all time great Aftab-e-Sitar Ustad Vilayat Khan Sahab., • 'East Meets West Concert', Morristown, New Jersey USA, • 'Meeting God : Elements of Hindu Devotion', Museum of Natural History, New York City, New York USA, • Satyananda Centenary Celebration, Satyananda Debayatan, Kolkata, India, • 'Damaru' Festival, Birla Academy Auditorium, Kolkata, India, • 'Chhandayan', Lotus Fine Arts, New York City, New York USA, • Puffin Foundation Cultural Forum with David Liebman (Sax) and Badal Roy(Drums), New Jersey USA, • 'Sangeet Prabhat', Rutgers University, New Jersey USA, • The Knitting Factory with Jazz Legend David Liebman (Saxophone), New York City, New York USA, • Sufi Books 227, West Broadway, New York City, New York USA, • Puffin Foundation Cultural Forum (SOLD OUT), New Jersey USA, • ASAWARI Programme, Plainsboro, New Jersey USA, • ANHAD Programme, Ridgewood, New Jersey USA, • 'AMNEY-SAMNEY', Kalidas Academy, Ujjain, India, • 'Ganeshotsav', Ujjain, India, • Bhuvaneswar Music Circle, Bhuvaneswar, India, • Sur Sadhana Samiti, Mumbai, India, • 'VASANT UTSAV' Music Festival, Bhopal, India, • Ganga Prasad Pathak Memorial Festival, Vidisha, India, • Centenary Celebration at Ramakrishna Mission, • 'HARIDAS SANGEET SAMMELAN' by Sur Shingar Samsad, Mumbai, India, • 'KAL-KE-KALAKAR' (Tomorrows Artistes) by Sur Shingar Samsad, Mumbai, India.

Avirodh Sharma 
Avirodh Sharma is considered one of today’s leading exponents of the tabla, carrying on the tradition of rhythm that originated on the Indian Subcontinent. Trinidadian born Guyanese American artist, Avirodh Sharma was trained by his father, Dr. Ravideen Ramsamooj, managing director of the East Indian Music Academy who, together with his mother, Bharati Ramsamooj (Principal), have produced over 20,000 students in New York City. As a Director/resident teacher at the Academy for over 24 years, Sharma has trained tabla players nationwide. A multifaceted artist, he is also a composer and music producer, with work featured in films, documentaries, fashion shows, on radio and in television commercials. He has been featured in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, NY Daily News, NY1, TV Asia, STARZ NETWORK, Zee TV and NPR Radio. Sharma has worked with Grammy-winning artists including Shakti and Masters of Percussion, Vikku Vinayakram, internationally acclaimed Kailash Kher, Suresh Wadhkar, Shivamani, Amaan and Ayaan Bangash and many more. A multi genre artist, he has also collaborated with Asian Underground musician Karsh Kale, fiddler Patrick Mangan (Riverdance), world acclaimed dance choreographer David Parsons and David Bowie’s drummer Sterling Campbell. He’s also made special appearances in music ensembles such as the Queens Symphony, Sukarma, Sufiana, Riyaaz Qawaali and Melodic Intersect. In 2015, his debut recording as a tabla soloist was nominated for the 14th Independent Music Awards “Best World Beat Album.” In 2018, he was commissioned by Parsons Dance Company to compose and perform Microburst in NYC’s Joyce Theatre, receiving critical acclaim in Italy and across the United States. January 2019, he performed at Kumbh Mela, in India, the biggest religious festival in the world, where millions were in attendance.  In the realm of American Theatre, he composed and performed for Dishwasher Dreams which was developed at the Joseph Papp Public Theater in NYC and in 2021-2022 season was produced in Chicago at Writers Theatre and then in Hartford Stage in Connecticut receiving great reviews. 

In January 2022, Avi released the highly anticipated album Crossing Continents which features his trademark mix of Classical Indian, Caribbean, and electronic music. The album features Vikku Vinayakram, Fazal Qureshi, Selvaganesh, and many other guest artists. The album in its opening 8 weeks charted Top 10 on world music terrestrial radio stations across the United States and the world. 

A Carribean Savant in rhythm, his performances have captivated audiences in Italy, Switzerland, Nepal, India, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and the U. S. He has appeared at the international festivals Artisti in Piazza (Italy), Hindustani Music Fest (Bahamas), Drive East Festival (New York City) and Taj Mahotsav (Taj Mahal, India).