Chhandayan presents final concert of Indian classical music

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After 25 years of operating in the United States, the New York City- based Chhandayan Center for Indian Music presented the 20th and final All-Night Concert of Indian Classical Music May 18.

Held at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, the concert began at 8pm on the 18th and concluded at 6:15 am on the 19th.

The all-night concert featured some of the most notable performers of this music tradition including: Pandit Jasraj (Vocal), Vidushi Shruti Sadolikar-Katkar (Vocal), Pandit Shubhendra Rao (Sitar), Vidushi Saskia Rao-De Haas (Cello), Pandit Debasish Bhattacharya (Guitar), Pandit Samir Chatterjee (Tabla).

It also featured a unique tabla symphony performance titled ‘Tablaphilia’ based on the theme of chaturashram, composed and conducted by Samir Chatterjee.

Sandeep Chakravorty, Consul General of India in New York, spoke on the occasion highlighting the singular contribution of Chhandayan and of Samir Chatterjee in popularizing classical music of India in the U.S.

The All-Night Concert has been a cornerstone event for lovers of Indian classical music not just in the Tristate area, but from North America and other parts of the world, who have specially traveled to attend this festival, said a press release from the Consulate of India in New York.

For the past few years people were also able to watch the performances from the comfort of their homes through live streaming services.

“It was a bittersweet moment for audience members as they left the auditorium. On one hand it was the most befitting finale to a 19-year legacy, and on the other hand the realization that there will not be another like it carried a sense of sadness as well,” said the press release.

The Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), the Indian Consulate in NY and the New York State Council on the Arts supported the Festival.