Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia to perform at Classical Music Conference in city on Jan 15

Kolkata: The City of Joy is set to host the legendary Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia at the highly anticipated Classical Music Conference 2025. To begin on January 15 at Ektara Mukta Mancha on the Rabindra Sadan premises, the two-day celebration of Indian classical music will feature performances by sitar maestro Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan, singer Kabir Suman, tabla virtuoso Pt Swapan Chaudhuri and other acclaimed musicians.

The event, organised by the West Bengal Information and Cultural Affairs department in collaboration with Paschim Banga Rajya Sangeet Akademi, aims to unite both seasoned maestros and new talents.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, state tourism minister Indranil Sen said: “To make Indian classical music more accessible, we decided to host this event in the open-air Ektara Mukta Mancha rather than a traditional auditorium.” The press meet was also attended by Debojyoti Bose and Pt Tarun Bhattacharya.

An exhibition focusing on Bengali ragas will also be a highlight of the conference, Sen said. He also highlighted the musical programme at Rajdanga on Saturday, featuring compositions and songs by CM Mamata Banerjee. After the Kolkata conference, similar music events are planned across six districts, including Chandannagar, Durgapur, Medinipur, Siliguri, Behrampur and Suri.