In Harmony with Gandhi

Born into a musically dedicated family, Shubha Mudgal has been trained by some of the finest musicians and musicologists in India. Trained by eminent scholar-musician-composer Pandit Ramashreya Jha “Ramrang”,  she also received guidance from Pandit Vinaya Chandra Maudgalya and Pandit Vasant Thakar. She later learnt stylistic techniques from well-known maestros Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki and Pandit Kumar Gandharva. She also received training in thumri from Smt. Naina Devi and is thus a versatile and popular performer.

In addition to being a performer, Shubha has also won recognition as a composer. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the Padma Shri from the Government of India in the year 2000, and the Gold Plaque Award for Special Achievement in Music at the 34th Chicago International Film Festival, 1998, and the Yash Bharati Samman from the Government of Uttar Pradesh in 2015.

She has also been closely involved with several projects related to music education in India. Formerly a member of the Central Advisory Board of Education constituted by the Government of India, Shubha also chaired a focus group discussing the need for introducing an arts education program in mainstream school education during the National Curriculum Framework 2005. Shubha Mudgal was also a Nana Shirgaokar Visiting Research Professor for traditional music at Goa University.

Shubha Mudgal will be accompanied on the tabla by Aneesh Pradhan, a disciple of the tabla maestro Pt. Nikhil Ghosh.

*Photo courtesy Yeashu Yuvraj

Sudhir Nayak, who provides harmonium accompaniment, is a disciple of veteran harmonium player Pt. Tulsidas Borkar. He has also received guidance from Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki. An accomplished composer in addition to being a popular performer, Sudhir Nayak is actively and tirelessly engaged in the propagation of Indian music. He curates the Kala Coast Music Festival annually and also heads the Village Music Club in Mumbai.