Qualification :
- In the year 2004, Abhishek graduated from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, West Bengal with Honours in the subject of Instrumental Music in First class First.
- In 2006, he has completed his Master’s degree (M.A.) in Music with First class Second and Distinction from the same university.
- He is also a First class Sangeet Prabhakar holder from Prayag-Sangit-Samiti Allahabad in the year 2001-2002.
- He has done Ph.D. course by UGC from Rabindra Bharati University, WB, India
Academics Area Of Specialization :
Indian Classical Instrumental Music , Sitar.
(a) Practical —
Initially Abhishek started his sitar lessons from Late Sri Sukumar Chandra. There after, he was fortunate to have his rigorous Talim in sitar from Late Pandit Deepak Choudhury, one of the finest Sitarists of India. (Both were the foremost disciples of Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar). Presently he is also fortunate to have his Talim on the finer aspects of the Senia Gharana from Sitar maestro Padmabhushan Pandit Debu Chaudhuri.
(b) Theories of Music —
History of Indian music , Musicology, Music & Psychology, Philosophy of music and to some extend on South Indian music.
(c) Western Music —
Basic knowledge in Western tonal system and Staff writing.
(d) Orchestral Music —
Performed as a first group musician in large ensemble orchestras in different stages
Experience :
- He has worked as a Sitar and Sarod faculty at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, Kabul from 2015 to 2019.
- Abhishek had worked as an Instrumental music teacher (Sitar Teacher) at Ostad Bhagaban Das Setari Memorial Music College, Kolkata from 2008 to 2012.
- He has done a project on Music as a Medium of urban Transformation, focusing on the urban musical cultures of Kolkata, under Leipzig University, Germany.
- He has done a project work on the History and the changes in Hindustani Classical Music, particularly in Sitar.
- He has trained many performers of India as well as abroad who are learning maintaining Indian Traditional Guru-Shishya Parampara.
- An Examiner of Graduation and Post Graduation level examinations of Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata.
- An External Examiner at the centres of Indira Kala Sangit Vishwavidyalaya.
- Attended many international seminars as observer-Seminar on Music as a Medium of Urban Transformation held at Max Mueller Bhavan, Kolkata, The International Colloquium, 2010 of S M Tagore Centre for Documentation & Research of Languishing & Obsolescent Instruments, Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata etc.
- He had been invited many times as a Guest Teacher and Artiste by the Ministry of Education, at the ‘Afghanistan National Institute of Music’ from 2012 to 201
- A Trustee at the Board of Chaulkhowa Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, Dibrugarh, Assam.
Achievements :
- In 2003, Abhishek was honoured with the title Surashri from 'Mattri Udghatan Ashram', Patna.
- In 2005, Abhishek has been conferred the Nikhil Banerjee Memorial Prize and the Nirod Baran Memorial Prize at the 30th Annual Convocation of Rabindra Bharati University for securing Highest marks in the B.A. Examination (Instrumental Music) 2004.
- In the year 2007 he has been awarded the National Scholarship in Sitar from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
- Recently in 2009, Abhishek has been awarded the title Sur Mani from Sur Singar Samsad , Mumbai.
- He has a number of prizes under his belt. In 2000, he acquired prizes in the Youth Festival held in Varanasi. Awarded Merit Scholarship from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata in 2000 and 2003. He was awarded the Challenge Trophy in 'Inter Collegiate Calcutta Oriented Music Competition'.
- Recipient of Merit Scholarship several times from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata.
- He has worked as a co writer in an essay in the book ‘Sounding Cities’ published in 2018, Page No.13 to 25. Auditory Transformations in Berlin, Chicago and Kolkata, published by LIT VERLAG GmbH & Co. KG Wien, Germany. And in 2020 ‘World Music, A Very Short Introduction’, Chapter No. 7
- In 2018 Afghanistan National Institute of Music received the prestigious Polar Music Prize from the King of Sweden in 2018 while Abhishek was teaching the young Afghan students in the mentioned Institute.
- In 2015 an Album ‘Salute- Tribute to Pt. Ravi Shankar’ has been released by Free Bird, Raga to Rock Records from Mumbai, India.
Performances :
Pandit Abhishek Adhikary has performed in many major music festivals in India and abroad. It is worth to mention that Abhishek and his wife Dr. Murchana Adhikary Barthakur’s Sitar Jugalbandi has been highly acclaimed in the music festivals all over India and abroad as well.
He performed and gave his interviews several times in different Television shows like - CTVN, NE TV, AKASH BANGLA, Doordarshan (DD7) recording in Viswabharati (Santiniketan), TOLO TV & Khurshid TV – Kabul (Afghanistan), BBC (Persian), Ariana Television, Doordarshan recording in Dibrugarh (Assam), Bangla Chanel 9, Gorgeous Radio- Surtarang Broadcast, United Kingdom etc. He has shared his performances with many renowned gems of Indian Classical Music in same stages. Like – Pandit Hari Prasad Chourasia, Ustad Ghulam Mushtafa Khan, Ustad Maskoor Ali Khan, Vidhushi Girija Devi, Pandit Buddhadev Dasgupta, Pandit Deepak Chaudhury, Pandit Anindya Bandopadhyay, Pandit Kumar Bose, Pandit Samar Saha, Sri Arup Chatterjee, Sri Subhankar Banerjee
Family Background :
Groomed in the atmosphere of music from the very childhood, Abhishek Adhikary took to music instinctively. He belongs to the eighth generation of his family lineage in music. The eminent Surbahar and Sitar player Aacharya Pandit Bhagabandas Sitary, who was the State musician of the Nawab Estate of Dhaka and Acharjya Pandit Shyamdas Sitari of Tripura princely state were one of the worthy descendants of Pandit Haricharandas Swami of Varanasi an ancestor of Abhishek. Both the parents of Abhishek, Sangeetacharya Nandalal Adhikary and Smt. Rakhi Adhikary are reputed vocalists of Kolkata. He took vocal training from his parents in the childhood.
Initially Abhishek started his sitar lessons from Late Sri Sukumar Chandra. Thereafter, he was fortunate to have his rigorous Talim in sitar from Late Pandit Deepak Choudhury, one of the finest Sitarists of India. (Both were the foremost disciples of Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar). Presently he is also fortunate to have his Talim on the finer aspects of the Senia Gharana from late Sitar maestro Padmabhushan Pandit Debu Chaudhuri.
