BHASKAR DAS The soulful sou nd of Bansuri

www.bhaskardas.in WHO I AM

Sure, I am a flautist. But that’s only the beginning. I am also an international performer, enthusiastic musician, and a man with a big musical vision. I want to live in a world where flute playing is unapologetically bold, anything but conformist, always soulful and tells us something fresh. I perform at regularly scheduled events through giving back to my community. I aim to unlock something in the listener that will be there long after the music has ended. WHY I PERFORM

There is this moment in a performance where the energy of the audience and myself, the performer, become one. It is as if we are inhaling and exhaling together. Transcending to another space beyond the venue. When this shift happens I know immediately. Suddenly no one moves, the air is thick, and there is complete synchronicity between the audience and myself. I am simply the medium from which the music flows; the holder of this sacred space for the audience. And that is why I perform because of this one, divine moment HOW THE FLUTE I grew up in a musical atmosphere and my father, Pandit Gopal Das, one of the FOUND ME pioneers of Indian classical music on the clarinet, was my first guru. It was an unconscious and organic initiation. I was around five, my father’s guru, Pandit Bholanath Prasanna, who was also Pandit ’s teacher, made me sit on his lap and gave me a flute. That’s when I knew I wanted to hold a flute too. I feel now, in retrospect, that moment was a significant message of what was to come.

HOW I ARRIVED HERE

I had my first concert when I was 8, at Prayag Sangeet Samiti’s conference in , and since then I have been performing regularly in and abroad. I got a master degree from Banaras Hindu University with distinction and incredible musicians always appeared in my path when I was ready to receive their wisdom. I have studied with Acharya Pandit Anupam Rai and Pandit Udhai Mazumdar (a renowned tabla exponent and music composer of Benaras-Maihar Gharana). ACHIEVEMENTS MY STRENGTH & AWARDS lies in the ability to imbibe the essence of classical music’s rich ‘A’ grade from All India Radio and Doordarshan heritage while being able to then Empanelled at ICCR interpret it in various collaborations. National Scholarship from the Ministry of I enjoy playing all kinds of music – Culture, Government of India classical, jazz, world music, Allahabad Museum "Young Talent Award" 2018 Bollywood music. Balancing the twin Girnar Ratna Award 2014 worlds of traditional thought and Sangeet Natak Academy Competition 2002 contemporary perspective, my strong classical roots allow me to not Sangeet Samiti Competition 2000 only acknowledge its deep presence Sahara International Music Competition 2003 in the melodies gone by and those All India Radio Music Competition 2004 yet to come, but it also allow me to appreciate the tenets of world music.

ALBUMS "Naman - Tribute to the Master" (2017) "Meditative Melodies" ( 2017) "Naad Sutra - The Sounds of Meditation" (2016) "Shrutipath - The Musical Lineage" (2015) "Bhaskar - The Rising" (2014)

PROJECTS

OORJA - Fusion Enlightened (flute, keys, drums, guitars, bass, tabla and world percussions)

Part of the international project "West meets East" - reviving the famous collaboration between Pt. & Yehudi Menuhin PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE 2017 2014 ICCR event in Delhi hosted by Indian Chalo Man Ganga Jamuna Teer Music prime minister Sri Narendra Modi Ji for His Festival - Allahabad Majesty, the king of Belgium. Allahabad Museum Music Festival - “West meets East” tour in Romania Allahabad Atreya concerts in Jodhpur and Kota Prayag Sangeet Samit - Allahabad Oorja - Fusion Enlightened concert in Pune Concert at Raj Bhawan -Lucknow “Namaste India” Festival, Bucharest, Romania Thirak Utsav - Jaipur International Yoga Day concert in Nice, France Smriti Festival - New Delhi, Dehradun Concert organized by Raaga Soul Spa- Dhyananjali - Indian Classical Music & Stuttgart, Germany Dance Festival - Allahabad Concert in Cologne, Germany Bhavan’s Cultural Varsha Utsav - Mumbai Rashtriya Shilp Mela - Allahabad Lakkundi Utsav, Karnataka 2013 Performance at the Art of Living Center, Prayag Sangeet Samiti Music Conference - Bangalore, in the presence of H H Sri Sri Ravi Allahabad Shankar Taj Mahotsav - Agra Jawahar Kala Kendra Music Festival - 2016 Jaipur SaMaDha Music Festival Duet Concert “India N chants” Tour - Switzerland Flute & Sitar dedicated to Bharatratna Rose Festival - Switzerland Pandit Ravi Shankar “Namaste India” Festival, Bucharest, Romania Jugalbandi (Duet) flute&sitar - Atreya concert in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata Switzerland Tour “Goonj” Festival - Dehradun Dhyananjali Festival - Allahabad 2012 Smriti Festival - New Delhi & Dehradun Kathak & Amour - Europe Tour Soulful Sufi Tour - India 2015 Pt. Shailendra Mishra Smriti Sangeet Girnar Mahotsav - Junagadh (Gujarat) Samaroh -Allahabad Folk Song Art festival - Bangkok (Thailand) Rasick Utsav Music Festival - Thane 2011 Smriti Festival - New Delhi, Dehradun Soulful Sufi - Europe Tour Aarohi Art Spring Festival - Kolkata SaMaDha Jalsa An Indian Classical Music & 2009 Dance Festival Ansar - New Delhi 2006 Jhansi Music Festival - Jhansi ICCR event in Delhi hosted by Indian Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi Ji for His Majesty, the King of Belgium.

Performance at the Art of Living Center, Bangalore, in the presence of H H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

"West meets East" project in Romania reviving the famous collaboration between Pt. Ravi Shankar and Yehudi Menuhin MY FLUTE IS EVERYTHING my Religion, my Life, my Soul.

Playing the flute is a deep act of meditation, like a prayer within you. I don't know what the future brings, but I hope, for as long as I play the flute, I will create good music. That is all I desire.

CONTACT DETAILS: +91 98 19 747 207 [email protected] www.bhaskardas.in