Guru
Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee
Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee
Upholding with great distinction the traditions of the Imdadkhani Gharana of Sitar, Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee’s name
has long become synonymous with 8the sitar.
Considered as the leading sitarist of his generation, Budhadityaji has received his entire training in Sitar and Surbahar from his illustrious father, Late Pandit Bimalendu Mukherjee, the well-known sitarist and a doyen of the Imdadkhani Gharana of sitar, who initiated his son into sitar from the age of 5. From then, responding to the finesse of his father’s profound teachings, Budhaditya’s music has blossomed into a unique lyrical magic that reflects the ‘gayaki ang’ on the sitar with its befitting clarity.
In 1977, Budhaditya Mukherjee became a first class first graduate in Metallurgical Engineering - a gold medal holder. However, even after having achieved such laurels academically, his immense love and dedication to sitar caused Budhaditya to devote himself whole-heartedly to Sitar.
Today, he has not only kept alive but also improved and furthered the creative concepts of Ustad Imdad Khan - after whom the gharana is named and in the process, he has also popularized immensely the traditions of Imdadkhani Gharana. The depth of his alap and the intricate taankari is a reflection of a mastery over his instrument that has done justice to his Guru, his father, Pandit Bimalendu Mukherjee.
Having specialized in the disciplined development of the ragas based on the gayaki style of the Gharana, Budhaditya Mukherjee has enthralled all audiences alike at over 1526 concerts within India and 1278 recitals abroad in 26 countries. He has, since 1979, performed in 26 countries including the UK., USA., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UAE, Armenia, and in almost all European countries. These performances also include 12 well known International Festivals where he alone represented India.
On June 30,1990, Budhaditya Mukherjee created history by becoming the first ever musician in the world to perform at the House of Commons, London.
Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee was a visiting expert in Sitar at the Conservatory of Music at Rotterdam, Holland, from 1995 to 2005, and prior to that many students have benefited from his valued teachings at the Instituto Internazionale di Studi Musicali Comparati, Venice from 1983 onwards.
Today, at the age of 68, Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee has 46 commercial musical releases, worldwide, in the forms of compact discs, long playing discs and cassettes produced by various reputed music companies.
While worldwide acclaim and numerous awards have come his way, Budhaditya Mukherjee even today treasures most the words of appreciation he received when he was 20: first- after his first stage appearance in Calcutta in 1976, from none other than the late Satyajit Roy, who said:
‘Simply fantastic! I was stunned after hearing him. He is incredibly good. Really extraordinary... His performance is soul filling.’,
and two years later, after listening to his recital in the Akashwani Sangeet Sammelan broadcast, the all time great Veena maestro - late S.Balachander said:
‘When I listened to the sitar recital of Budhaditya Mukherjee, I felt that I was listening to the Sitar Artist of the Century’. May God bless him with a long life and a most befitting future’
In 1994, The Madhya Pradesh State Government honoured him with the coveted Kumar Gandharva Sanman
On July 22, 2011, Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee was awarded the prestigious Sangeet Natak Academi Award 2010.
On December 14, 2016, West Bengal Government bestowed Panditji with the state’s prestigious Sangeet Maha Sanman award.
On 11th March 2019 Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee was awarded the prestigious ‘Padma Bhushan’ by the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind
On 4th November 2022 Budhaditya Ji was awarded the coveted Rashtriya Kalidas Sanman by the Madhya Pradesh State Government.
