Melbourne International Festival of Hindustani Classical Music 2027

The prestigious Melbourne International Festival of Hindustani Classical Music returns for its 7th year. This year will feature another lineup of the leading artists of the genre, including Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan (Sitar), Ustad Waseem Ahmed Khan (Vocal), Smt Manjusha Patil (Vocal) and Vd Sombala Kumar (Dhrupad Vocal).

Accompanying artists: Ojas Adhiya (Tabla), Rupak Kulkarni (Flute), Prithviraj Kumar (Pakhavaj), Dr. Vinay Mishra (Harmonium).

Main artist bios:

Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan (Sitar) is widely recognised as one of the greatest sitar players of the world. He represents the seventh generation of the sitar’s first family, the Etawah Gharana. A very young Shahid Parvez was initiated into the rich traditions of the Gharana by his father and guru Ustad Aziz Khan – the son of legendary sitar and surbahar virtuoso Ustad Waheed Khan. His family has produced the most revered and influential figures in Hindustani Classical Music including Ustad Vilayat Khan and Ustad Enayet Khan.

Recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the government of India’s Padma Shri and Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Shahid ji has performed across India, Europe, North America, Asia and Australia, enthralling audiences everywhere.

His music is both novel and evolving. Shahid ji’s unique tone and astute artistic sense have become his hallmark as a respected performer and composer. The power of his music emanates from the highly charged sound he conjures on stage. He emphasizes the unique capabilities of the sitar itself, while drawing upon numerous musical influences easily recognisable to the knowing ear. He has achieved success in not only preserving tradition, but also pushing its boundaries to even greater heights of aesthetic beauty.

An exponent of the Agra Gharana, Ud Waseem Ahmed Khan (Vocal) is a direct descendent of the stalwarts who created the stylistically unique and rich repertoire of this tradition. From the age of six, Waseem ji’s talim began with his maternal grandfather, Late Ata Hussain Khan (1899-1980) and also trained under his father, Ustad Naseem Ahmed Khan, son of Basheer Khan. Later on, Ud Waseem Ahmed Khan continued his taalim under the guidance of Ud Shafi Ahmed Khan as a scholar at the prestigious ITC Sangeet Research Academy, and learnt Dhrupad compositions here as well. After completing his training as an A grade scholar of the academy, he taught as a senior faculty member of Shakhri Begum Memorial Trust, an academy run by late Ustad Rashid Khan. Currently, Waseem ji is working at ITC SRA as a Musician Tutor. 

He has toured all around the world extensively, including the USA, Europe and the UK, and has performed at all prestigious music festivals including Sawai Gandharv, Dover Lane and Saptak, as well as Darbar internationally. 

Ud Waseem Ahmed Khan’s style displays both the heavier aspects of Dhrupad, as well as the drama and passion of Khayal. With a powerful, open-throated tone and expressive voice, Waseem ji has captivated audiences worldwide. 

Smt Manjusha Patil (Vocal) has established herself as a leading vocalist of Agra-Gwalior gharana captivating a worldwide audience. Her voice effortlessly spans three octaves, and she has mastered both classical and semi-classical music forms including Thumri, Dadra and Natysangeet.

Majusha ji received her initial training under Pt Mhaiskar Buva in Sangli, before learning from the late Pt. D.V. Kanebuva for 13 years in Gurukul Paddhati. She has also learned the nuances of the Gwalior Gharana from Vd Shubhadatai Paradkar. Manjusha ji then continued learning Kanebuva ji’s legacy from Pt Narendra Kanekar who was a senior disciple of Pt Kanebuva. In Pune, she refined her skills in the Agra and Gwalior gharanas under Dr. Pt. Vikasji Kashalkar. Currently, she is honing her skills under the able guidance of Gaan Tapasvi Pt Ulhas Kashalakar.

Smt Majusha Patil established a trust in the name of her Guru Sangeetacharya Pt.D.V.Kanebuva named Kanebuva Pratishthan in 2007. In 2014 she also started a gurukul in her hometown, Sangli, to train students in and around the gurukul system. Besides this, she is also a guru at Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth’s Naadbindu Gurukul.

Manjusha ji is a top-graded artist recognised by All India Radio and has also been awarded the Ustaad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, Pt Kumar Gandharva Rashtriya Puraskar, GaanSaraswati Puraskar, Ustaad Faiyaz Khan Puraskar and several other awards.

She has performed all over India and across the globe, including Europe, the UAE, and the USA. She has also performed at all prestigious music festivals including Sawai Gandharv and Tansen Samroh.

Majusha ji is lauded for her ringing voice and voice agility, especially while moving through intricate taans across several octaves.

One of the foremost Dhrupad artists of India, Vd Sombala Kumar (Dhrupad Vocal) was born into a family of music lovers from Khandwa. Sombala ji received her initial training in Hindustani Classical from Shri M.D. Raje and Shri M.K.Kwathekar of Khandwa. She completed a masters degree in classical music from Dr Hari Singh Gaur University (Madhya Pradesh, India) where she specialised in the intricacies of the Dhrupad singing style of the Dagar Gharana. After this Sombala ji received guidance from the late Veena-maestro, Ud Zia Mohiuddin Dagar. She also received the National Scholarship from the Government of India to continue her Dhrupad training. 

Vd Sombala Kumar has performed at most major music festivals and prestigious platforms across India, including the Tansen Samaroh, Harvallabh Music Conference, Dhrupad Samaroh and the NCPA in Mumbai across her career. She was both a Visiting Professor of Voice Culture and Dhrupad at Indira Kala Sangeet university, Khairagarh, and has also given musical direction to several musical plays across India. She now runs a Gurukul in Pune.

Vd Sombala Kumar has a sonorous voice, with her technique maintaining the tradition of the Dagar Gharana of Dhrupad, while having a highly individual spirit that captivates her audiences.