18th Pandit Siyaram Tiwari Music Festival Celebrates Dhrupad Maestro’s Legacy In New Delhi

Pandit Siyaram Tiwari Memorial Sangeet Trust, under the curatorship of Dr. Sumeet Anand Pandey, proudly presents the 18th Pandit Siyaram Tiwari Music Festival, a celebration of the rich tradition of Dhrupad and the life of its legendary exponent on Sunday, September 8th, 2024, 7pm onwards at The Theatre (Amaltas), India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

The festival honors Pandit Siyaram Tiwari, a towering figure in the Darbhanga Dhrupad tradition. This centuries-old lineage, tracing its roots back to the legendary Tansen, specializes in the Gauhar and Khandar banis of Dhrupad.

Dr. Sumeet Anand Pandey, Pandit Tiwari’s maternal grandson and a renowned Dhrupad vocalist himself, carries forward this legacy. As co-founder and secretary of the Pandit Siyaram Tiwari Memorial Sangeet Trust, Dr. Pandey is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and popularizing Indian classical music.  

The 18th Pandit Siyaram Tiwari Music Festival promises a captivating evening. The program features:

- Shashi Kant Pathak: A mesmerizing Pakhawaj solo recital by a rising star, who will also be honored with the “Navodit Kalakar Samman” award. He will be accompanied by Rajesh Mishra on Sarangi and Sumeet himself on vocals 

- Pandit Biswajit Roy Chowdhury: A masterful Sarod recital by a senior exponent of the Senia-Bangash tradition, concluding the evening with ragas from the Malhar family accompanied by Pt. Durjay Bhaumik on Tabla. 

Noted music author and critic Pt. Vijay Shankar Mishra will be the compère for this evening.

On the occasion, Dr. Sumeet Anand Pandey says, “It’s a great honor to continue the legacy of my grandfather, Pandit Siyaram Tiwari, through this annual festival. Dhrupad is a timeless tradition that deserves to be celebrated and shared with the world. We hope that this festival will inspire new generations to appreciate and learn this beautiful art form.”

This edition marks a special occasion as the Pandit Siyaram Tiwari Memorial Sangeet Trust celebrates its 10th anniversary. During 2023-24, the trust organized 10 music festivals across India, showcasing the beauty of Indian classical music to a wider audience. In this series, his initiatives Geetam Vadyam Nrityam and Vani Veena Venu received a great response nationwide. Additionally, he has launched a new series titled “Naya Swar” in Delhi, featuring innovative performances by young maestros. Next year, he plans to take them to other cities such as Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru in India.

Remarkably, the Darbhanga school has produced many “choumukhi” singers – versatile vocalists adept at not only Dhrupad but also khayal, thumri and bhajans. Pandit Siyaram Tiwari stands as a shining example of this mastery.

Dr. Pandey, is invited for a residency involving teaching, research and concerts at University of California, Los Angeles as Fulbright visiting fellow for 2024-25. Recently, he concluded a successful tour of seven European countries, presenting Dhrupad on prestigious stages.