Folk Arts - Master Artist - Dr. Sumita Chakravorty

A Seattle resident since 1988, Sumita Chakravorty is a highly reputed vocalist in the Gwalior Gharana tradition of North Indian music. At age seven, she began her training with her father, also a noted singer. She went on to study with master teacher Pandit Shankar Shripad Bodas and later earned a Ph.D. in music from the Benares Hindu University in India. In 1984, she was invited to perform in the "Kal Ke Kalakar" ("Artists of Tomorrow") concert series. She has performed throughout North India, the United States, and Canada, and has won numerous awards. Here in Washington she teaches music and is actively involved in community events, helping to keep the culture alive among a younger generation of performers.

As a recipient of a 1993 Apprenticeship grant, Dr. Chakravorty taught Nishant Prasad Gwalior Gharana music. Nishant Prasad is a first-generation American born of Indian parents. Nishant Prasad had already trained in traditional Indian music styles for three years.