Rajeev Taranath(born 17 October 1932) is an India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n classical musician who plays the sarod

Sarod

The sarod is a stringed musical instrument, used mainly in Indian classical music. Along with the sitar, it is the most popular and prominent instrument in the classical music of Hindustan...

. Taranath is a disciple of Ali Akbar Khan

Ali Akbar Khan

Ali Akbar Khan , often referred to as Khansahib or by the title Ustad , was a Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod...

.

Career

Rajeev Taranath was born in Bangalore

Bangalore

Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...

 on 17 October 1932. He received his initial training in vocal music from his father Pandit Taranath. He gave his first public vocal performance when he was nine years old. Rajeev was singing for the All India Radio

All India Radio

All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...

  before he was twenty.

Although Rajeev held a PhD in literature, he soon decided to give up his career as a Professor of English Literature and moved to Calcutta, where he began his musical training under the tutelage of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan

Ali Akbar Khan

Ali Akbar Khan , often referred to as Khansahib or by the title Ustad , was a Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod...

. Rajeev continued to learn from his Guru till Khan Saheb's demise in 2009. He has also had guidance from Pt. Ravi Shankar

Ravi Shankar

Ravi Shankar , often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian musician and composer who plays the plucked string instrument sitar. He has been described as the best known contemporary Indian musician by Hans Neuhoff in Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart.Shankar was born in Varanasi and spent...

, Smt. Annapurna Devi, Pt. Nikhil Banerjee

Nikhil Banerjee

Nikhil Ranjan Banerjee was a Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar Gharana who played the stringed instrument sitar.-Early life and background:...

 and Ustad Aashish Khan

Aashish Khan

Aashish Khan Debsharma is an eminent Indian classical musician, known for his virtuosity on the Sarod. He was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2006 in the 'Best World Music' category for his album "Golden Strings of the Sarode"...

. In 1999-2000 he received the Indian's government's highest award in the arts from the Sangeet Natak Akademi

Sangeet Natak Akademi

Sangeet Natak Akademi is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.-History:...

. He researched and published the Teaching Techniques of the Maihar-Allauddin Gharana, as a Ford Foundation scholar (1989 to 1992).

He is respected for his in-depth understanding as he unfolds the raga, the tonal quality and power of his strokes. His distinctive style shows technical excellence, imaginative power and emotional range. According to the New York Times, "RAJEEV TARANATH'S sarod improvisations Sunday at Soundscape mixed the spiritual and the spirited".

Rajeev performs extensively in India and the world. He has toured Australia, Europe, Yemen, the United States, and Canada. He has composed the music for many internationally acclaimed Indian films Samskara (film)

Samskara (film)

Samskara is a 1970 film in the Kannada language which is based on a novel of the same name, written by the renowned writer and Jnanpith award winner, U. R. Ananthamurthy. The film is said to have been a path-breaking venture and is supposed to have pioneered the parallel cinema movement in Kannada...

, Kanchana Sita and Kadavu. He has also served as the head of the Indian music program at the World Music Department of the California Institute of the Arts

California Institute of the Arts

The California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, in Los Angeles County, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the...

 from 1995 to 2005.
He currently lives and teaches in Mysore, Karnataka.

Discography

Taranath has several recordings published:

• Manan "Meditation": Ragas Bihag and Bhairavi (2008)
• Harmony: Sindhu Bhairavi Raagmala (2007)
• Raga Kafi: Some Facets (2007)
• Rasarang (2004)
• Reflections Around Noon : Ragas Todi and Kafi (2003)
• The Call of Love, The Art of Persian and Indian Improvisations (2002)
• Daybreak and a Candle End (2002)
• Indian Classical Music (2001)
• Rag Nat Bhairo, Rag Kaushi Bhairavi, Bhairavi (1995) http://www.khazana.com/et/products/product.asp?dept=Music&adv=1&sku=INMU732&Country=India&Department=&new_target=%2Fet%2Fsearch%2Fadvs_results_float.asp&strFindSpec1=&strFindSpec2=Rajeev+Taranath&strFindSpec3=&Next=0&mscsstcid=&mscssid=1TE4HA57UC2J9PP1PCSPTNRBN6J7DGUC
• Over the Moon : Raga Chandranandan (1993)
• Raga Ahir Bhairav/Raga Charukeshi (1991)
• The Magnificence of Yaman Kalyan (1987)
• In the Master's Tradition : Rag Basant Mukhari, Rag Kirwani (1987)
• Rag Kafi (????)
• Rag Komal Durga (????)
• Rag Puriya Dhanashri (????)

Awards and recognitions

• The Sangeet Natak Akademi
  Sangeet Natak Akademi
  Sangeet Natak Akademi is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.-History:...
  
  Award, 1999–2000
• Sangeetha Rathna Mysore T. Chowdiah Memorial Award 1998 (Government of Karnataka, India)
• Sangeet Nritya Akademi Award, 1993
• Karnataka Rajya Prashasti, 1996
• Kempe Gowda Award, 2006
• Sangeet Kalaratna from the Gayana Samaja
• Jyothi Subramanya Award
• Brahmaramba N Nagaraja Rao Gold Medal
• V T Srinivasan Memorial Award

External links

• New York Times Review
• Concert Review in The Hindu newspaper 2006
• Article in The Hindu 2007
• Interview by Kavita Chhibber
• Concert Review, India 2006
• Article in The Hindu 2007
• Concert review Los Angeles Times
• Interview in Deccan Herald Newspaper 2005
• Article - Celebrating Taranath's Birthday
• Article in The Hindu - Strings of Success 2011
• Article in the Star of Mysore newspaper 2010
• Press release on University of Mysore Honorary Doctorate 2010
• Article - Book on Rajeev Taranath's life on bestseller list
• Article - Concert in Shimoga 2010