Violinist L. Subramaniam to be honoured with ITC Sangeet Samman

Acclaimed Indian violinist L. Subramaniam will be honoured with the Sangeet Samman at the ITC Sangeet Sammelan 2015 beginning here on December 4, organisers said on Tuesday.

The Padma Bhushan and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee is the only musician who has performed and recorded South Indian and Western classical music, both orchestral and non-orchestral, composed for and conducted major orchestras and scored for films like "Mississippi Masala" and "Salaam Bombay".

He has collaborated with some of the greatest musicians, from different genres of music including jazz, occidental, jugalbandis with North Indian musicians, world music and global fusion.

The violinist will perform at the inaugural on December 4 at the Victoria Memorial. The three-day festival will witness presentations by stalwarts of Hindustani classical and Carnatic music, including celebrated percussionist Karaikudi Mani.

At the fest, Mani and Pandit Subhankar Banerjee will indulge in a dialogue of north Indian and Carnatic percussion while Vidushi Subhra Guha, a representative of the Agra Gharana and as such, one of its rare women proponents will also feature in the eclectic line-up of musicians.

Indian classical maestros Ajoy Chakrabarty, Ulhas Kashalkar, Pandit Rajan and Sajan Mishra and Venkatesh Kumar will regale audiences.

Some of the rising stars of Hindustani classical music including Shashank Maktedar, Arshad Ali Khan, Deborshee Bhattacharjee, Saket Sahu and Ratan Bharati and Debasmita Bhattacharya, will also perform at the event.

Pushparaj Koshti will perform Dhrupad on the Surbahar (related to the sitar and often referred to as the bass sitar due to its lower tone) offering a glimpse into one of the oldest forms of Hindustani classical music.

The festival concludes on December 6 and the last two days of the event will be held at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy lawn.