Pandit Nikhil Banerjee

Pandit Nikhil Banerjee was a Hindustani classical musician of the Maihra Gharana. His real name is Pandit Nikhil Ranjan Banerjee. He was a student of famous and legendary Baba Allauddin Khan. He emerged with Pandit Ravi Shankar Bio coming soon... >> Read More... and Ustad Vilayat Khan Among the Great Kalakars of India, Ustad Vilayat K >> Read More... as a flourishing sitarist. Banerjee was born on 14th October 1931 in Calcutta. Nikhil Banerjee’s father, Jitendranath Banerjee, was also a famous sitarist, and he got fascinated from his father. Since childhood, he wanted to play sitar and at the age of five, he acquired a small sitar. Within nine years of age, he won a sitar competition at All India Radio.

With Maihra keeping in the side, he also took a lot of world tour concerts. He is known as a humble musician. In 1968, he was decorated with the Padma Shri award, and in 1974, he received the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. His unique style of playing sitar leads the audience into the deep sea of emotion. Pandit Banerjee’s health started deteriorating through the 80s, survived three heart attacks. But on 27th January 1986, at the age of 54, he had his fourth heart attack. At the time of his death, he was a Music Professor in a college of Calcutta. To date, he is considered one of the greatest sitarists of the 20th century, along with Ravi Shankar and Vilayat Khan.