Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee is an Indian classical sitar and surbahar maestro of the Imdadkhani gharana, recognizable by his intricate vocalic playing complemented by spectacular high speed playing.
13 Facts About Budhaditya Mukherjee
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Budhaditya Mukherjee holds a unique distinction of being the ever first artist in history to perform in the House of Commons, London.
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Budhaditya Mukherjee was born in a musical family in Bhilai, India, in 1955, where his father was a senior official of the Bhilai Steel Plant.
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The senior Mukherjee often hosted veteran musicians at his home.
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When Budhaditya was five years old, Bimalendu Mukherjee started teaching him on a small sitar and trained him for several decades thereafter.
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Budhaditya Mukherjee graduated as a First Class Metallurgical Engineer from National Institute of Technology, Raipur, while already a performing artist.
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Budhaditya Mukherjee's son, Bijoyaditya, was born in 1984, and started training with Bimalendu and Budhaditya at the age of 5.
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Budhaditya Mukherjee has toured the world extensively, giving concerts in over 25 countries, and from 1983 and 1995, respectively, taught from time to time at the Istituto Interculturale di Studi Musicali Comparati in Venice and the Rotterdam Conservatory.
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Budhaditya Mukherjee has recorded widely, and at the age of 47, his discography spanned exactly 47 CDs, LPs and cassettes.
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Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee belongs to the Imdadkhani gharana, the name coined by himself, to credit Ustad Imdad Khan, who created the unique style and had named it after Etawah, where he lived.
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Budhaditya Mukherjee often develops the raga in the khayal gayaki ang, or the way a vocalist would do in the khayal style of singing.
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Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee said that he changed 9 sitars in his initial 20 years of performing, while looking for the tone he wanted.
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Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee has performed all over the world for more than five decades.