COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (Sept. 20, 2006) — Promising talent Sounak Chatterjee will bring the meditative notes of Indian classical music to Tennessee Tech University’s Wattenbarger Auditorium in a special performance on Monday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m.

He will be accompanied by two other musicians — one in tabla (percussion) and another in harmonium (keyboard).

Although Chatterjee has a master’s degree in English literature, as a professional musician, he has established himself as one of the most promising Indian classical artists of his generation.

His Hindustani repertoire includes the music of Ragas, Bandishes and Rabindrasageet (songs of Rabindranath tagore). Hindustani classical music is a very old form of art that has been continuously in practice for nearly a millennium.

After completing his secondary education at the reputed Don Bosco School in Kolkata, India, Sounak decided to shift his attention to music and took it up as a main career.
Several prominent institutions and organizations in the United States and India have acknowledged his talent.

Among Chatterjee’s achievements include first place for vocal solo and best promising talent in Bosco Raag, Kolkata in 1997; first place in the Swar Prabhat Talent Contest organized by the Salt Lake Cultural Association and the Ustad Amir Khan Award for Best Vocalist and Best Young Talent by the Newspaper Pratidin, both in 1999.

He also took first place in a talent search by the Dover Lane Music Conference and in 2002, he received the national scholarship for senior students of Hindustani classical music by India’s Department of Art and Culture.

A Center Stage event, the concert is free and open to the general public.

--Tracey LeFevre
This information posted 22 September 2006