Ritwik Sanyal

Ritwik Sanyal is a classical singer and the senior-most exponent of the Dagar tradition of Dhrupad, one of the oldest forms of Hindustani music. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2023 in the field of art, from Uttar Pradesh ^[1].

Training with the Dagar brothers

Sanyal was born on 12 April 1953 ^[2]. His mother, Ranu Sanyal, a writer and singer, was his first teacher, and his father, Batuk Sanyal, was a philosopher and mathematician at IIT Bombay ^[2]. From 1963 he trained in Dhrupad with Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar ^[2]. After a master’s in philosophy from Mumbai University, his guru sent him to Banaras Hindu University, where he took a master’s in vocal music and a PhD under the musicologist Premlata Sharma ^[2].

Teacher at BHU

He went on to teach at BHU for 37 years, serving as professor, head of vocal music and dean of the Faculty of Performing Arts ^[2]. He has taught thousands of students and guided 27 doctoral scholars, and about 30 of his disciples are now well-known performers ^[2]. With Richard Widdess of the University of London he wrote Dhrupad: Tradition and Performance in Indian Music, and he is also the author of Philosophy of Music and Dhrupad Pancasika ^[2].

A voice of his own

While keeping the Dagar style, he has developed his own approach, bringing Sanskrit verse, modern poetry, Western and Indian instruments and choirs into Dhrupad performance ^[2]. He has created new ragas, including Shrutivardhini and Nagesh Todi, and composes under the pen name Shrutigyan ^[2]. He is a top-grade artist of All India Radio and received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2013 and the Uttar Pradesh Ratna in 2016 ^[2].