PATNA: Celebrated flutist and Padma Vibhushan awardee, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia masterfully blew different tones of classical music through his flute during a performance at S K Memorial Hall here on Wednesday, held as part of the Bihar Diwascelebrations.
The septuagenarian flutist once again demonstrated that he is rightly considered an innovator and also a traditionalist. He challenged the expressive frontiers of the flute through his innovative and masterful blowing skills.
Chaurasia, who came to Bihar after two years, said he was more than thrilled to be here. “I am very happy to be here. Bihar is scaling new heights of development and progress. This turnaround has thrown open new avenues of opportunities for both the established and the struggling artists,” he said.
“A cultural celebration at such a mega scale is rare in India. It seems as if the entire Bihar is diving deep into the sea of music,” he added. Chaurasia, who has also composed music for several Hindi films, expressed happiness y over the overwhelming response to a series of cultural events being organised on the occasion of Bihar Diwas.
Celebrated ghazal singer Bhupinder Singh and his wife Mitali Singh also mesmerized the packed audience at the S K Memorial Hall on Wednesday evening.
“It is for the first time in my life that I am witnessing musical festival on such a grand scale. I had not imagined that a magnificent music festival like this will take place in India and that, too, in Bihar,” the singer said.
“Now musical concerts are filled with women till late into night. Such a thing was unimaginable some years ago,” he stated, adding, “I have performed before diverse audience but I rarely find audience in other states as attentive as in Bihar.”
Bhupinder and wife Mitali added: “The new system of governance has boosted musical talent in the state. Bhojpuri films production in the state has also significantly improved in quality.”
Noted Hindustani classical guitar player Kamala Shankar left the audience spellbound at the Indira Gandhi planetarium here. Music lovers tapped their feet in appreciation as she beautifully stroked strained strings with her delicate fingers to produce mellifluous music. Audience rose in their seats in applause after the performance of celebrated classical music vocalist of Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, Ashwini Raja Bhide Deshpande.
Classical singer Pandit Shyam Das Mishra and other noted artists also performed at the LN Mishra Institute auditorium till late evening.