Abhisek Lahiri and Omkar Dadarkar

Date: Sunday, April 21, 2024, 4 pm
Price: $40 Balcony, $50 Orchestra
Raag-Mala Toronto Members and Friends of the Museum receive 10% off performance tickets.
A limited number of $20 tickets for full time students with valid ID are available. Please email Raag-Mala Toronto for details.
Tickets include same-day Museum admission.

The Aga Khan Museum is proud to partner with the Raag-Mala Music Society of Toronto to bring the finest musicians performing Raag Sangeet (North Indian Classical music) to Toronto audiences.

Throughout their 2024 concert season, Raag-Mala Toronto will present five carefully selected vocalists and instrumentalists who are masters of their craft. Paying homage to tradition while carrying on this ancient art form, Raag-Mala Toronto presents a masterclass in musical complexity through a series of raags — improvisations based on musical scales that serve as the lifeblood of Indian classical music and have no traditional Western equivalent.

The Museum’s Performing Arts programming is generously supported by the Nanji Family Foundation.

About the Artists

Abhisek Lahiri

Abhisek Lahiri embarked on his musical journey at a remarkably young age under the guidance of his father, Pt. Alok Lahiri. His breakthrough onto the national stage came when Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia invited him to showcase his talent at the renowned Saath Saath Festival. Since then, Lahiri has honed his skills, crafting a unique musical style that has garnered acclaim worldwide. His musical endeavours have taken him on extensive tours across India and abroad, representing the country at esteemed music festivals in Morocco and Cyprus. 

Indranil Mallick

Indranil Mallick was born into a family deeply rooted in music. He embarked on his tabla journey at the age of five under the guidance of his uncle, Sri Montu Mallick. As he progressed, he learned from distinguished mentors like Prof. Dhabol Bandyapadhaya and Sri Uttam Chakraborty, a senior disciple of the renowned Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, who eventually became his guru. Mallick's dedication led him to attain a Sangeet Visharad — a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music specializing in Tabla — from the University of Chandigarh.

Omkar Dadarkar

Omkar Dadarkar, from a family of Marathi Natyasangeet experts, initially trained under his aunt Padmashree Manik Verma and later under Ram Deshpande. He further honed his skills with Pt. Yashwantbua Joshi of the Gwalior Gharana tradition and received rigorous instruction from Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar at the I.T.C. Sangeet Research Academy. Now a faculty member there, Dadarkar has gained recognition as a concert performer in India and abroad, earning the prestigious Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar in 2010. 

Sanjay Deshpande

Sanjay Deshpande started learning tabla under Late Pt. Sabade; later he took from Taalyogi Pt. Suresh Talwalkar of Delhi-Farookabad Gharana, and received guidance from the maestro Ud. Alla Rakha Khan. Deshpande continues his studies under Pt. Yogesh Samsi and Pt. Vivek Joshi. He has received the coveted Ahmedjaan Thirakwa Scholarship for solo performance and has accompanied senior artists such as Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar, Vidushi. Malini Rajurkar, Dr. Prabha Atre, Pt. Dinkar Kaikini, and Vidushi Ashwini Bhide.

Siddhesh Bicholkar

Siddhesh Bicholkar has been immersed in music since childhood, benefiting from the guidance of esteemed mentors such as Shri Sharad Mathkar and Pt. Tulsidas Borkar, a renowned Harmonium exponent. He has been honoured with numerous prestigious music scholarships, including one from the Government of India.

This performance is presented in partnership with Raag-Mala Music Society of Toronto. 

About Raag Sangeet

Raag Sangeet is a centuries-old tradition in which knowledge is transmitted from a guru (teacher) to their disciple. An artist will typically present bandishes (compositions) learned from their guru, with improvisations dependent on the artist's creativity. An artist generally decides on bandishes and the raags (melodies) they are based on, just prior to their performance. The decision is often based on their mood and the audience's energy receptivity to their performance. Connoisseurs often recognize the raags on which these bandishes are based, whereas most listeners treat the performance as if meeting a friend — with curiosity and openness.