Sargam School of Indian Music sets the stage for its Annual Concert
Venkat Raman
Pandit Harvinder Sharma, one of the most respected and highly proficient Sitar maestros will perform in Auckland on Friday, December 15, 2017 at 7 pm at the Blockhouse Bay Community Centre, located at Blockhouse Bay Road, Blockhouse Bay.
He will be accompanied by Tabla Master Basant Madhur and his nephew Akhil Madhur.
The two-day Anniversary Programme will continue on Saturday, December 16, 2017 at 5 pm at the same venue. Students learning Vocals, Sitar, Tabla and Violin will perform at the three-hour concert, giving vent to their artistic talents.
Since its establishment in 2006, the Sargam School of Music has been a citadel of learning for people of varied ethnicity and culture.
Promoting fine arts
“Our objective is to be an ideal education centre teaching Indian Classical vocal and instrumental music and present concerts with the participation of our students, other local performers and maestros such as Chaurasia. We are proud of our students who belong to various ethnic groups including Indian, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Afghani, Chinese, Malaysian, Fijian, Tongan, South African and American origin,” Basant said.
As well as supporting his students at their performances in New Zealand, he accompanies internationally renowned artistes during their tour of New Zealand including Pandits Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Ronu Majumdar, Ustad Fazal Qureshi, Dr Kadri Gopalnath, Patri Satish Kumar and now Pandit Harvinder Kumar.
Exceptional Artiste
A disciple of Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan of Imadadkhani Gharana, Pandit Sharma evinced keen interest at the tender age of five and presented his first public performance when he was just nine years old.
He was later groomed by his father Meghraj Sharma and trained by illustrious guides including the Late Professor Jitender Kumar and Dr R D Verma.
Distinct Styles
Pandit Sharma has developed a distinct style of elaborating Raga through Khayal ang on Sitar, which is the true essence of ‘Imadadkhani Gharana.’
Upholding the traditional glory of this Gharana, he is also known for innovation and Jugalbandi in Classical and Popular Music.
His experimentation with sitar on folk music and various forms of light music constantly enrich and upgrade his style.
In recognition of his meritorious achievements and outstanding commitment to music, he has been bestowed with innumerable awards and honours by prestigious organisations and the State Government of Haryana.
These include ‘Surmani Award’ (1987), the Haryana State Government Award on 56th Republic Day (2006), the ‘Pandit Lakshmi Chand State Award (2012), ‘Karam Yogi Award’ (2012), ‘Prashashti Patra’ on 65th Republic day (2015).
Globe Trotter
He has held concerts and musical performances in major cities of India, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Holland, New Zealand, Poland, Russia and the United Arab Emirates.
Pandit Sharma was selected by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, New Delhi as a Lecturer and Performer and deputed to the Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Centre located at the Indian Embassy in Moscow from March 1989 to September 1992.
During this period, he taught and trained many Russian students in Indian Classical Music and presented Concerts in several European countries.
Obtaining his PhD in Music from the Kurukshetra University in Haryana, Pandit Sharma has been teaching Music for more than 32 years in various government colleges of Haryana, Chandigarh and abroad.
He retired as Principal from Government Post Graduate College, Kalka in May 2015.
