Dhrupad is a genre in Hindustani classical music from the Indian subcontinent. It is the oldest known style of major vocal styles associated with Hindustani classical music, Haveli Sangeet of Pushtimarg Sampradaya and also related to the South Indian Carnatic tradition. It is a term of Sanskrit origin, derived from dhruva and pada. The roots of Dhrupad are ancient. It is discussed in the Hindu Sanskrit text Natyashastra, and other ancient and medieval Sanskrit texts, such as chapter 33 of Book 10 in the Bhagavata Purana, where the theories of music and devotional songs for Krishna are summarized.
Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, Shastriya Sangeet. The term shastriya sangeet literally means classical music, and can also mean Indian classical music in general. It is played on instruments like the veena, sitar and sarod. Its origins from the 12th century CE, when it diverged from Carnatic music, the classical tradition in South India. While Carnatic music largely uses compositions produced in Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and sometimes in Malayalam, Hindustani music largely uses compositions written in Hindi, Punjabi, Rajasthani, Urdu, and Braj Bhasha.
In Hindustani music, a gharānā is a system of social organisation in the Indian subcontinent, linking musicians or dancers by lineage or apprenticeship, and more importantly by adherence to a particular musical style.
Pandit Ritwik Sanyal is an Indian classical singer and the Dhrupad maestro from Varanasi. He is a retired professor and Ex Dean from the department of vocal music at the faculty of performing arts at Banaras Hindu University. On 5 April 2023, Pandit (Dr.) Ritwik Sanyal was conferred the Padma Shri award for 2023 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the revival and propagation of the Dhrupad tradition, both as an academician and performer. A recipient of the esteemed Kendriya Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2013, presented by the then Hon. President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, Pandit Ritwik Sanyal has now received the 4th highest civilian award, the Padma Shri, from President of India, Droupadi Murmu.
The Gwalior Gharana is one of the oldest Khyal Gharana in Indian classical music. The rise of the Gwalior Gharana started with the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar (1542–1605).
Mushtaq Ali Khan and was an Indian classical sitar, surbahar player.
Pandit Vidyadhar Vyas is an Indian Hindustani vocalist, and a contemporary exponent of the Paluskar style of North Indian classical singing. He belongs to the Gwalior gharana and the lineage of Sangeet Maharshi Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar contributed to his background.
Vidushi Kaushiki Chakraborty is an Indian classical vocalist and a composer. She attended Sangeet Research Academy, and was one of the exponents of Patiala gharana. Her repertoire covers pure classical, Khyals, Dadras, Thumris etc. and several other forms of Indian music. She is the recipient 2005 BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music in the Asia-Pacific category. She is the daughter of Hindustani classical vocalist, Ajoy Chakraborty and she has held performances with him as well as her husband, Parthasarathi Desikan. In 2020, she was awarded Nari Shakti Puraskar. Kaushiki is also a trained Carnatic Classical Vocalist.
Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan was an Indian vocalist of Hindustani music. Apart from khayal, he performed dhrupad, dhamar and thumri. As of 2020, he is the oldest person to have been conferred a Padma award.
Malabika Kanan was an Indian classical vocalist.
Lalith J. Rao is an Indian classical singer and a representative of the Agra gharana.
ITC Sangeet Research Academy is a Hindustani classical music academy run by the corporate house, ITC Ltd. It is located in Kolkata, India. Noted musicians associated with the academy include Ulhas Kashalkar, Falguni Mitra, Ajoy Chakrabarty, Ustad Rashid Khan, Mashkoor Ali Khan, Girija Devi, Subhra Guha. Satyajit Ray, was one of the trustees.
Jayashree R. Patanekar is a Hindustani classical vocalist. She has received training in Gwalior, Jaipur and Kirana gharana. She has received training from the great maestro Gajananrao Joshi.
Sanhita Nandi is a prominent Hindustani classical vocalist of the Kirana Gharana. The central motif of her style is slow tempo raga development and ornamented sargams. She is getting guidance under Mashkoor Ali Khan.
Manjusha Kulkarni-Patil is a Hindustani classical music vocalist. She belongs to the Gwalior gharana.
Pandit Vinayak Malharrao Torvi, is an Indian classical vocalist. He belongs to the Gwalior and Kirana gharanas.
Dr. Meeta Pandit is a Hindustani Classical vocalist and a leading exponent of the Gwalior Gharana. She is the granddaughter and disciple of Krishnarao Shankar Pandit and daughter of Laxman Krishnarao Pandit. She is the sixth in the unbroken lineage and the first woman in the family to have taken up music as a profession. Presently, she is an assistant professor at Maya Somaiya School of Music and Performing Arts, Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai.
Darbhanga gharana is a gharana, or tradition, of the Hindustani classical music dhrupad thought to have been started in the eighteenth century by Radhakrishna and Kartaram, musicians in the court of the Maharaja of Darbhanga. The style is notable for its vocal delivery and energetic performances, as well how the songs are sung after the alap. Notable singers of the Darbhanga gharana include Ram Chatur Mallick, Prem kumar Mallik and Siyaram Tiwari.
Gauri Pathare is an Indian musician and a winner of the All India Radio competition.
Arshad Ali Khan is an Indian classical singer belonging to the Kirana gharana.
