Nikhil Banerjee

尼克 班納吉（Pt Nikhil Banerjee）也許是本世紀(jì)最具天賦的西塔琴演奏家了，他1931年出生在一個有音樂氣氛的家庭中，很小就被認(rèn)為是“神童”。 他9歲時就因獲得全孟買西塔琴大賽的冠軍而震驚了音樂界。班納吉在Ustad Ali Akbar Khan身邊進(jìn)行了創(chuàng)造性的學(xué)習(xí)，這位薩羅德琴大師在班納吉的演奏生涯中扮演了至關(guān)重要的角色。他最后加入了阿里阿卡巴音樂學(xué)校并且在加爾各答和加利福尼亞兩地工作到生命最后一刻。對于這樣一位才華橫溢的藝術(shù)家的天賦有著廣泛的渴求是很自然的，與印度羅賓德拉??婆羅多大學(xué)（the Rabindra Bharati University）和維斯瓦-巴拉第大學(xué)（the Viswa Bharati University）的聯(lián)系使他聲名顯赫。他還是美國社會東方藝術(shù)學(xué)院（ASEA）的客座教授。他是阿里阿卡巴音樂學(xué)校（Ali Akbar College of Music）的教員。他和阿里阿卡巴一起舉行了上百場難忘的jugal bandhis。很快大家就認(rèn)識到了班納吉的才華。他迅速成為音樂會藝術(shù)家中璀璨的一顆明星。他在印度、美國和歐洲舉行了很多場音樂會。他曾獲印度政府授予的Pedmashr榮譽(yù)，并于1974年獲得印度文化部頒發(fā)的Sangeet Natak Akademi獎，或稱印度文化獎?；诎嗉{吉的卓越貢獻(xiàn)，他去世后還被授予印度公民榮譽(yù)獎。?
by Craig Harris
When Nikhil Banerjee died in 1986, India didnt just lose one of its greatest sitar players, but one of its most influential classical musicians. A former child prodigy who won the All-Bengal sitar competition at the age of nine, Banerjee grew up to earn international acclaim as a highly skilled musician. According to The San Francisco Chronicle, Banerjees technique is a phenomenon, faster than cheetahs, more secure than the dollar. Music And Musicians observed that his improvisations always sound completely natural and spontaneous.. In an obituary published after his death, The New York Times wrote the extraordinary fluidity and assurance of his rhythmic ideas and phrasing set a standard that would have left the more international stars of Indian music behind.
The son of an amateur musician, Banerjee was fascinated by his fathers playing. Although he wanted to try his hand at an instrument as early as the age of four, he was discouraged by his father and grandfather. At the age of five, however, they relented and he acquired a small sitar. Banerjee took to the instrument immediately. In addition to winning the All-India sitar competition, he became the youngest musician employed by All-India Radio at the age of nine. He remained a featured radio performer for five years. One of 15 children, Banerjee was greatly influenced by Ustad Amir Khan, who would come to his family home to teach his older sister. Banerjee also studied with Mustaq Ali Khan for three months and Jnan Prakash Ghosh, who taught him to play tabla. His greatest teacher, however, was Baba (Allaudin Khan), with whom he apprenticed, along with Ravi Shankar, from 1947 until 1952. Following Khans death, Banerjee went on to study with Khans son, Ali Akbar Khan, for an additional five years. Banerjee subsequently performed an estimated 1,000 concerts in India as Khans accompanist. Banerjee performed his first concerts outside of India in 1955 as a member of a cultural delegation sent by the Indian government to Poland, Russia, and China. He made his United States debut in 1967. For many years, Banerjee spent three months each summer teaching, performing, and lecturing/demonstrating at U. C. Berkeley.
In 1968, Banerjee was awarded the honorary title Padma Shri. The same year, he was named Indias outstanding musician of the year by the Sangeet Nagat (music and dance) Academy.