FRAMINGHAM, MA—LearnQuest Academy of Music is organizing a music program featuring a vocal recital by Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar with Suryaksha Deshpande on table and Dattatreya Velankar on harmonium on Saturday, July 9, in Framingham, MA.
This will the season’s last Baithak concert by LearnQuest. For this special program, Baithak members will need to purchase discounted tickets in order to attend. The program is also open all music lovers. Tickets: $30 for Baithak members and $35 for non-members. The doors open 6:30 pm and the concert starts at 7:00 pm on Saturday. The venue is located at 125 Prospect St. in Framingham, MA.
Organizers said this is going to be a fantastic concert featuring Pt. Kashalkar who gave a stunning performance at LearnQuest Music festival earlier this year. “This is a rare opportunity to hear such a renowned artist perform in an intimate Baithak environment,” according to organizers.
Padma Shree Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar
Ulhas Kashalkar was born in a musical family in Maharashtra. He was initiated into music by his father Shri. N.D. Kashalkar and completed his MA in music from Nagpur University as a gold-medalist. Ulhas ji received training from Pt. Rajabhau Kogje and Prof. Prabhakar Rao Khardnavadis and later moved to Mumbai for advanced training under Pt. Ram Marathe and Pt. Gajananrao Joshi. He thus received training of the highest order in three distinct prominent gharanas – Gwalior, Agra and Jaipur and soon emerged as one of the most formidable vocalists of the country. His gayakee is especially known for its ingenuity, purety and aesthetical rendering of Raagas. His music has its roots in tradition without being orthodox. It is engaging and absorbing because of its architectural soundness, melodic richness, rhythmic dexterity and his supreme sense of artistic proportion. Ulhas ji started his career with All India Radio and later moved to Kolkata to join the ITC Sangeet Research Academy (ITC-SRA) as a Senior Guru. He has been with the Academy for over twenty years, as one of the most sought after Gurus, producing numerous students of high caliber.
He is the recipient of several awards such as Padma Shri, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Basavraj Rajguru Puraskar and has been bestowed with several titles like Swar-Ratna, Raag-Rishi and Gaan Tapaswi by the revered Jagatguru Shankaracharya. His recitals have a classic timelessness and he has performed at some of the most prestigious venues in the world. In an age that fears the slow erosion of our grand musical tradition, Ulhas ji’s music is a colossus – an eternal witness to the strength and depth of this great art.
Dattatreya Velankar
Dattatreya Velankar is a disciple of an acclaimed Gwalior-Kirana Gharana vocalist, Pt. Vinayak Torvi. Dattatreya is an accomplished performer, teacher, academician and the founder of
Shadja Kala Kendra, Bangalore, where he teaches vocal music.Gifted with a rich and graceful voice, Dattatreya’s exquisite rendition style has won him many critical acclaims and accolades, both in India and abroad. In addition to being a talented and gifted vocalist, Dattatreya is also an accomplished harmonium player.
Suryaksha Deshpande
Suryaksha Deshpande has a good Literary and Musical heritage. His father Shri Prakash Deshpande is a retired Professor of English and an eminent writer and critic in Marathi and his mother Prof. Hema Deshpande herself is a vocalist disciple of Pt. Babanrao Haldankar (veteran of Agra Gharana).
He has taken tremendous efforts in balancing his academic career and Tabla training. 1977-born Science Graduate, Suryaksha is a disciple of scholar and performer Pt. Arvind Mulgaonkar of Farrukhabad Gharana (senior disciple of Ustad Amir Hussain Khan Sahab). He has also received training of “Delhi Baaz” from Pt. Sudhir Mainkar – a great Musicologist – disciple of Inam Ali Khan Sahab of Delhi Gharana. He has achieved excellence in competitions held by reputed organizations through out the country & was also felicitated with the prestigious Pt. V.D.Paluskar Award.
He has secured First Rank all over India in Tabla Alankar (Masters Degree) Exam held by Akhil Bhartiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. He is also a recipient of the prestigious National scholarship awarded by the Dept. of Culture, Govt. of India. He is an ‘A’ Grade artiste of All India Radio and Doordarshan. He is a recipient of the Fellowship for Junior Artist by The Dept. of Culture, India. Suryaksha currently teaches tabla at Taal Sadhana, a music school in New Jersey.
