Snehasish Mozumder

Snehasish Mozumder has the distinction of being a maestro of Indian classical music performing on the mandolin, an instrument not usually associated with India. His passion for the music is evident in the energy and focus with which he plays, thrilling audiences worldwide.

Performing with Samir Chatterjee on tabla, Snehasish will open the concert with pure Hindustani (North Indian) raga music followed by a dhun, which is based on light classical and folk music. The performance will conclude with a raga mala or garland of ragas.

Snehasish is dedicating this concert to his first guru, the late Acharya Ajoy Sinha Roy, senior disciple of the renowned Baba Alauddin Khan. He endeavors to inspire peace through his music while exploring the uncharted possibilities of interpreting Indian classical music on the mandolin.

Presented with Harrice Miller Entertainment and community partner Sunny Thakkar.

About the Musicians

Snehasish Mozumder is one of the few established musicians in India who has mastered the art of playing mandolin and has blended it perfectly into the style of Hindustani (North Indian) classical music. He started his initial training at the age of four with tabla and then mandolin under the guidance of his grandfather, the late Sri Bibhuty Ranjan Mozumder. Snehasish then trained under his father, the famous lap steel guitarplayer of Indian light music, the late Sri Himangshu Mozumder, and his uncle, the famous sitar player and composer, the late Sri Ranjan Mozumder.

Snehasish received further training from his cousin, sarod maestro Pt. Tejendra Narayan Mozumder. He then continued his study under the late Acharya Ajoy Sinha Roy who was a beloved disciple of Baba Alauddin Khan Saheb, the founder of Maihar Gharana, as well as lessons of laykari under the guidance of the late Pt. Anil Palit. Snehasish’s final training came under the tutelage of Pt. Ajoy Chakraborty.

Snehasish has performed at many major festivals in India, and he also tours regularly in Europe and the United States. He has performed at international festivals like New York International Mandolin Festival, Mando de Lunel in the south of France, Calgary Folk Music Festival, and Vancouver Island Folk Music Festival of Canada. Snehasish is the recipient of Surmani and Jadubhatta Awards.

In 2002 Snehasish was invited by Pt. Ravi Shankar to join with Ravi’s Orchestra as a soloist at the Royal Albert Hall of London, where they performed with Eric Clapton. In 2009 he performed at Lincoln Center and with his New York–based fusion band SOM. Their debut album was released in October 2010 at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York. He is considered a pioneer of North Indian (Hindustani) classical music on mandolin.

Samir Chatterjee is a virtuoso tabla player who has performed around the world as a soloist and with other outstanding musicians from Indian and Western traditions. He performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in Oslo, Norway, in December 2007. He has also performed at the UN General Assembly several times. His compositions and writings are widely acclaimed.

Samir is featured on numerous recordings as a soloist, as an accompanist to many of India’s greatest musicians, and in collaboration with Western musicians of outstanding caliber. Samir lives in New Jersey and has been a catalyst in the fusion of Indian and Western music in the New York City metro area. He is the Founding President of Chhandayan, a nonprofit organization promoting and preserving Indian music and culture. Samir teaches at several prestigious institutions. He has authored three books on Indian music: A Study of Tabla, Music of India, and Those Forty Days. Samir played a significant role in the musical revival in Afghanistan. He is the recipient of the Sunshine Award, the Jadu Bhatta Award, and the Acharya Varistha Award.