ABOUT

Pandit Abhishek Adhikary is an outstanding Sitar player of India, belonging to Senia Maihar Gharana. He belongs to the eighth generation of his family lineage in music. His performance reflects the traditional Dhrupadang Beenkar baaz and the purity of the Ragas. His soulful Alap and Vistar and the heart touching Meends create an aesthetic appeal among the listeners. Though Abhishek mainly plays the Tantrakari ang but he assimilates the Gayaki ang too in his performance. His Style of playing reflects spiritualism with dexterity. Groomed in the atmosphere of music from the very childhood, Abhishek Adhikary took to music instinctively. He belongs to the eighth generation of his family lineage in music. The eminent Surbahar and Sitar player Aacharya Bhagabandas Sitary, who was the State musician of the Nawab Estate of Dhaka, was one of the worthy descendants of Pandit Haricharandas Swami and an ancestor of Abhishek. Both the parents of Abhishek, Sangeetacharya Nandalal Adhikary and Smt. Rakhi Adhikary are reputed vocalists of Kolkata. Initially, Abhishek started his sitar lessons from Late Sri Sukumar Chandra. Thereafter, he was fortunate to have his rigorous Talim in sitar from Late Pandit Deepak Choudhury, one of the finest Sitarists of India. (Both were the foremost disciples of Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar). Presently he is also fortunate to have his Talim on the finer aspects of the Senia Gharana from Sitar maestro Padmabhushan Pandit Debu Chaudhuri. Achievements: • Awarded the title Sur Mani from Sur Singar Samsad , Mumbai in 2009. • Abhishek was honoured with the title Surashri from ‘Mattri Udghatan Ashram’, Patna. • In his presence as Sitar and Sarod faculty the Afghanistan National Institute of Music received the prestigious Polar Prize awarded by the King of Sweden along with the Metallica Band in 2018. This award is considered as the Nobel Prize of Music. The contributions of Abhishek and his wife Murchana have been shown in the documentary done by the team of Polar Prize. Apart from this, in many of the documentary films done by various counties, electronic medias including BBC captured his hard work and contributions in making a beautiful and peaceful society. • In 2006, he has completed his Master’s degree (M.A.) in Music with First class and Distinction from Rabindra Bharati University. • Graduated from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, in the year 2004, with Honours in the subject of Instrumental Music in First class First. • Abhishek has been conferred the Nikhil Banerjee Memorial Prize and the Nirod Baran Memorial Prize at the 30th Annual Convocation of Rabindra Bharati University for securing Highest marks in the B.A.Examination (Instrumental Music) 2004. • He is also a First class Sangeet Prabhakar holder from Prayag-Sangit-Samiti Allahabad. • In the year 2007 he has been awarded the National Scholarship in Sitar from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. • He was awarded the Challenge Trophy in ‘Inter Collegiate Calcutta Oriented Music Competition’. • In 2015 an Album ‘ Salute- Tribute to Pt. Ravi Shankar’ has been released by Free Bird, Raga to Rock Records from Mumbai, India. • An examiner at the Instrumental Dept. of Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata. • He has been invited as a Guest Teacher and Artiste by the Ministry of Education, at the “Afghanistan National Institute of Music” since 2012. • A Trustee at the Board of Chaulkhowa Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, Dibrugarh, Assam. • Attended many International Seminars as observer---Seminar on Music as a Medium of Urban Transformation held at Max Mueller Bhavan, Kolkata, The International Colloquium, 2010 of S. M.Tagore Centre for Documentation & Research of Languishing & Obsolescent Instruments, Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata etc.