Baithak Series: Benaras Gharana | Indian Classical Music Concert

Baithak Series is a thematic concert series aimed at presenting esoteric topics on Indian classical music in an engaging and accessible manner. Baithaks, essentially chamber concerts, are a traditional way of presenting Indian classical music to create an intimate connection between the audience and the artist through smaller venues with both floor and chair seating. Each program begins with a curated concert where the artists walk the audience through the theme through musical repertoire and knowledge-sharing. This is followed by an open-floor question and answer session between the audience and the featured artists. The current theme, Gharanas & Banis, explores these socio-musical lineage systems which are prevalent across Indian classical music traditions and tries to address the role they play in contemporary music-making. Pankaj Mishra, currently based in Toronto, hails from a family of tradition keepers of the Benaras gharana and trained under Sarangi virtuoso Pandit Mahesh Prasad Mishra. His presentation will explore the nuances of the gharana’s stylized playing, repertoire, and his unique role in being musically and genealogically part of a gharana. Joining him on stage is emerging Surrey-based Tabla artist Akaaljot Singh and Pankaj’s student Pratyush Goberdhan.