Ramprapanna Bhattacharya 15/2B, College Row, – 700009 ( Player) Phone:+91 33 22414151 Email: [email protected] Mobile: +91 9748008729 Webpage: http://www.ramprapanna.webs.com

RAMPRAPANNA BHATTACHARYA SITAR PLAYER

------Ramprapanna Bhattacharya (born: 1982) is a Hindustani classical musician and Sitar player.

Training and Background

Ramprapanna Bhattacharya is the highly acclaimed Sitarist and a worthy representative of younger generation of the famous Imdadkhani-Etawah Gharana. He was born in a family with remarkable musical, cultural and spiritual heritage. His great grandfather Late Ramendu Bhattacharya was a noted clarinet player. His grandmother used to play sitar and has the family relation with great musicians like Timir Baran, Amiya Kanti Bhattacharya (Bhombal Babu). His father Sri Ram Udar Bhattacharya is also a Sitarist and is a disciple of Ustad Ali Ahmad Khan(Sitar), Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan, Pt. Gokul Nag and Pt. Indranil Bhattacharya.

Ramprapanna was first introduced to music by his mother. He took up the Sitar at the age of six under guidance of his father, Sri Ram Udar Bhattacharya .

After receiving musical lessons from Sri Soumitra Lahiri of Vishnupur Gharana, he got privilege to have musical lessons from Pt. Kashinath Mukherjee (The senior disciple of Ustad and Ustad Amir Khan).

Now, continuing the same musical tradition he is undergoing extensive guidance from Pt. Arvind Parikh (the world renowned Sitarist and senior most disciple of Ustad Vilayat Khan) in .

He received compositions from Late Pt. Bimal Mukherjee of Jaipur Gharana, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ustad Khan in several workshops from 1995 to 2004. Ramprapanna is rarely fortunate to have affection and blessings from none other than Aftaab-E-Sitar Ustad Vilayat Khan Sahab.

Performative Career

Ramprapanna has been a regular performer on the concert circuit for two decades, performing all over the country and abroad. The prestigious venues he has performed include the followings:

* Eastern Zonal Cultural Center (Performance with Pt. Bimal Mukherjee) * Sri Ramkrishna Mission Belur Math on birthday celebration of Swami Vivekananda * 76th Birth Anniversary of Ustad Vilayat Khan –Sunny Towers-Kolkata * Kolkata District Youth Festival * Alankar Music Circle * Sutanuti Parishad * Salt Lake Cultural Association

Ramprapanna Bhattacharya 15/2B, College Row, Kolkata – 700009 (Sitar Player) Phone:+91 33 22414151 Email: [email protected] Mobile: +91 9748008729 Webpage: http://www.ramprapanna.webs.com

* Ballygunge Maitrayee Music Circle (Radhika Mohan Maitra memorial concert) * Calcutta University Institute * Subhash Sanskriti Sangeet Parishad at Kala Mandir Basement Hall (Kalakunj) * Calcutta Club on the event of Annual Seminar of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) * Rotary Club-Pune * Sri Ram Bharatiya Kalakendra-New * ITC Sangeet Research Academy-Kolkata * National Center of Performing Arts-NCPA(Mumbai) * Program organized by Rotary Club at Gorky Sadan-Kolkata * YV Chavan Hall-Mumbai * Sri Aurobindo Path Mandir-Kolkata * Tata Institute of Fundamental Research-TIFR (Mumbai) * Shivanand Swami Punyatithi Sangeet Mahotsav-Satara * Nazrul Mancha-Kolkata * Iscon Temple-Pune on Janmastami Mahotsav * Oberoi Grand Hotel - Kolkata * Bharat Bhawan - Bhopal (Shared stage with Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar, Pt. Suresh Talwalkar, Vidushi Malini Rajurkar) * Jawahar Kalakendra-Jaipur for Ustad Imamuddin Dagar Memorial Concert * Chhatu Babu-Latu babu's house-Kolkata * Sur Sagar Music Society-Kolkata * Aundh ITI hall-Pune * Kenilworth Banquet Hall - Kolkata on the International Seminar on Micro-biology organized by Bose Institute. * Congress Bhavan-Pune * Ravindra natya Mandir-Mumbai * Tata Consultancy Services Auditorium - Kolkata * Sri Sri Radha Krishna Mandir - Pune on Kojagari Purnima Mahotsav * P.L.Deshpande Sabhagruha-Mumbai * Nad brahma-Pune * Aspee (American Spring & Pressing Works Pvt Ltd) Auditorium-Mumbai * Karnatak Sangha Auditorium-Mumbai (Performance was with Sri Ramdas Palsule on tabla). * All India Music Festival * Khelat Ghosh Memorial Cultural Foundation – Pathuriya Ghata Khelat Ghosh Bhavan.

His technical prowess and aesthetic brilliance have been acclaimed greatly by connoisseurs. His performances have been telecasted in popular Television Channels in Kolkata and Pune. His Sitar performance in United Kingdom was highly appreciated by audience and musicians. He received the Scholarship in Sitar by "Ministry of Culture" (Govt. of India). He stood first in Sitar in Kolkata District Youth Festival (Govt. of West Bengal), Inter Collegiate Music Competition, Sutanuti Parishad. He received "Sutanuti Sangeet Samman" offered by Sutanuti Parishad and awards offered by Dover Lane Music Conference, Salt Lake Cultural Association, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Culture.

Ramprapanna Bhattacharya 15/2B, College Row, Kolkata – 700009 (Sitar Player) Phone:+91 33 22414151 Email: [email protected] Mobile: +91 9748008729 Webpage: http://www.ramprapanna.webs.com

Besides having musical career, Ramprapanna has obtained Bachelors Degree in Electronics & Communication Engineering. ------Musical Heritage: