Horizons: An Afternoon of Indian Classical Art
Horizons is a new series of Indian Classical Music and Dance programs which started in Cleveland, Ohio after the release of Sugata Chatterjee’s eponymous album. The goal of Horizons is to honor the roots of Indian Classical Art while also keeping it alive and vibrant. Indian Classical Music and Dance need to be preserved and innovated on, but have had difficulty finding a foothold in the modern globalized culture. By inviting artists from all walks of life who tirelessly work to keep their discipline alive, we hope to revitalize the audience for these artforms, while also introducing more people to the joys of Indian Classical Art.

In the December 2024 installation of this program in Dayton, we will showcase the Hindustani Vocal Music of Sugata Chatterjee, the Kathak Dance of Antara Datta, and the Hindustani Instrumental Music of Dayton-area locals, Gurupada Das and Orijeet Halder (sitar and table). As we take you through this afternoon of music and dance, we hope you come away feeling hopeful about the state of traditional arts and culture in your community. To that end, we also showcase some younger students (TBD) who demonstrate that our cultural forms have a future.

The Performers
Sugata Chatterjee has been training in Hindustani music since childhood and holds a Sangeet Prabhakar diploma from Alahabad Sangeet Parsad. She has trained with Ajoy Chakraborti, Mohanlal Mishra, Falguni Mita, and Girija Devi. She has performed around the world, trained dozens of students, and released multiple solo records. She is currently developing her next project, and serves as a member of the Grammy Recording Academy.

Antara Datta has been training in Kathak dance since childhood and holds a double diploma from Bangiya Sangeet Parishad in Kolkata and Prayag Sangeet Samiti in Allahabad India. She trained with Pandit Birju Maharaj, Vidushi Saswati Sen, and Guru Parwati Dutta. She currently serves as the artistic director Anga Kala Dance Company and its associated Academy, and as the president of Arts Without Borders.

Orijeet Halder, a promising Tabla artist from Allahabad, India, residing now in Cincinnati, OH, got tutelage under Pt Vinod Mishra from Prayag Sangit Samiti for 5 years and performed on various prestigious stages like Prayag Sangit Samiti, NCZCC, Sangeet Sankalp, Rotary club accompanying top grade TV and AIR artists. Currently, he plays at various musical events around Tri-State area. He attended the BPACON 2023 in Nashville and Accompanied various artists from the Tollywood Film Industry. He considers his musical journey to be of a lifelong student and tried relentlessly to promote and serve Indian Classical Music in anyways he can!!

Guru Das was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and developed a passion for music from a young age. He took a break from music to earn a PhD in Theoretical Physics from University of Chicago in 1966. After retiring from a career as a quantum chemist in 2007, he started playing tabla, harmonium, and sitar. His repertoire now includes Indian folk and pop, as well as ghazals. He has trained with Patrik Marks, Ustad Alla Rakha, and Krishna Bhat. He now runs the Cincinnati Sangeet Kala Kendra School of Music.