Pandit Prattyush Banerjee

Pandit Prattyush Banerjee pushes the boundaries of the modern sarod, combining superb solo musicianship with innovations in composition and instrument design. Born in Kolkata, he grew up around the sounds of top musicians who visited the family home in Kolkata to see his father, a well-known music collector.

He started sarod aged eight, training under Pandit Samarendra Sikdar and then Pandit Buddhadev Dasgupta, doyen of the Senia Shahjahanpur gharana. His novel approach to the instrument is informed by a detailed study of vocal music, tabla, and Western classical piano, and he has also written numerous musical articles for the ITC Sangeet Research Academy.

He is notable for being the first to capture the intricacies of tappa vocal music on the sarod - a semi-classical style derived from Punjabi camel-riders replete with fast, distinctively angular melodies, typically depicting the emotional outbursts of a lover. Recently he invented the the jyotidhwani, a tastefully electrified sarod.

"After 15 years of solid training...I started to rethink about my technique, fingerings, tunings, and finally, I thought I needed to do something about the sarod itself…"

Darbar believes in the power of Indian classical music to stir, thrill, and inspire. Explore our YouTube channel, or subscribe to the Darbar Concert Hall to watch extended festival performances, talk and documentaries in pristine HD and UHD quality.