Shridhar Parsekar

Born in the shadow of the Bhagwati temple, Sridhar Parsekar is regarded as the most outstanding violinist in Hindustani music of the 20th century. Parsekar was a supremely talented composer and pianist. Gajananrao Joshi, a master violinist, taught him how to play the instrument. Sadly, his life was marked by tragedy brought on by a wild addiction to alcohol. He paid a high price for that impure habit, which drained him of all his mental, physical, and spiritual resources. At 44 years old, Sridhar Parsekar passed away in 1964. The town of Parsem, where he was born, has not forgotten him; every year, a classical music festival is held in his honor. Ravi Shankar Bio coming soon... >> Read More... recounted his thoughts of Sridhar several decades ago, saying, "He knew Sridhar. He was a talented violinist and Gajananrao Joshi's student. Alla Rakha worked at A.I.R. Bombay alongside Sridhar Parsekar as a staff artist.

He knew him during this time, in the early 1940s. He was a bright young man who was dark and quite attractive. He frequently came to hear me and frequently heard him as well. As he had done with his Guru in Bombay in the late 1940s, he performed one duet with him. He performed an excellent duet with him, and Alla Rakha accompanied us. Kishen Maharaj was seated in the front with many other musicians. He always felt discouraged about how his alcoholism caused him to ruin his life and commit suicide, even if he liked him as a musician. Violinist V.G.V.G. Jog responded to a question about Parsekar in 1993 by posting the following reply to the Usenet newsgroup rec. Music. Indian. Classical (RMIC): "Sridhar Parsekar was a tayyar and lovely violinist. Outstanding presentation. I used to be called Bandu Jog by S.P. The sadness was that such a prominent artist neglected to uphold his Kala.

He passed away before I could prepare any students, which made me very sad. If not, India might currently have talented violinists. He was still a student at the top of his game, but A.I.R. broadcasts were much admired, and he was also a fantastic composer, particularly for Marathi films. Ramakrishnabua Vaze blessed him. Gajananrao Joshi was his teacher, and he once collaborated on a Jugalbandhi with Ravi Shankar. The 51st Pt Shridhar Parsekar Memorial Music Festival is a brilliant illustration of the much-loved guru-shishya parampara continuing today. The celebration, which was planned by Pravin, Parag, and Sachin Kaole in their 200-year-old home in Mahal, Kaole Wada, also took place on the third anniversary of their father's passing, Pt Vishnupant Kaole. This violinist studied with Pt Shridhar Parsekar.