Rishi Shankar Upadhyay

Rishi Shankar Upadhyay is a unique constellation of music, born in India  and spreading his fame as a young talented National and International Pakhawaj player. He has been blessed with the art of music from his ancestors. Born in swarpur village of district Gaya in Bihar , He had privilege to learn from his grand father 'The great Mridangacharya late Pt. Ramji Upadhyay, renowned Pakhawaj Maestro' & After  Rishi, started getting intense and fine training To his father Pakhawaj Meastro Pt. Ravi Shankar Upadhyay, from the tender age of 8 years. No wonder that today he proudly represents the 13th generation of artist nurturing this traditional art of his family.

         

The art of playing Pakhawaj has been a tradition in his family from ancient times. This "UPADHYAY'S" Parampara is about 400 years old and his ancestors were given this title of "UPADHYAY" (given to the best of gurus) in the royal courts. History shows that 400 year's ago, his ancestors who were musical maestros of that time used to live in Rajasthan. Later, they were specially asked by the Rajah of Bihta state (Bihar) to move in their province and they were given special place in the royal court. In successive generation, this tradition blossomed and many big and famous artist given to the music world by this family. This family has a  specialization in not only pakhawaj playing but Dhrupad style of singing as well. The Great Grandfather of Rishi Shankar Upadhyay. The great mridanga maestro Pt. Basudeo Upadhyay was an unprecedented Pakhawaj player who was also an accomplished Dhrupad singer. He was the greatest expert even in the art of Pakhawaj. Hence the name of his Gharana , or the style of pakhawaj playing was kept on his name as Pt. Basudeo Upadhyay Pakhawaj Parampara, Gaya, Bihar. Later he came to settle in Gaya, district of Bihar. In this tradition, grandfather of Rishi Shankar Upadhyay, Pakhawaj late maestro Pt. Ramji Upadhyay was also a great pakhawaj player. 

Apart from accompanying his father, Rishi has given a number of solo and duet performances and also as an accompanying with various reputed artist.He has played with well known flute player Pandit Rajendre 

Prassana (Flute) , Duet with well known pakhawaj maestro  Pandit. Ravi Shankar Upadhyay., Padma Vibhushan Dr. Sonal Mansingh (Dancer) , Padma Vibhushan Ustad Amjad Ali Khan ,Shri Aman Ali Khan & 

Ayan Ali khan (Saroad),PadmaVibhushan Sangeet Maetand Pandit Jasraj,, Shri Madhu Vohara., Pt Rajendre Gangani (Kathak Dance), Padamshree Pt. Ramakant Gundecha & Pt Umakant Gundecha (gundecha 

brother’s),(Dhrupad), Smt Shikha Khare wellknown kathak dancer, Duet With Pakhawaj Praveen Arya, Athar Hassan (Tabla) , duet with Shri Anup Banerjee (Tabla) ,Shri Srikant Deshmukh (Vocal), a famous disciple of Pandit, Bhimsen Joshi, Shrimati Shama Bhate (Dance) and "choreographer" Smt Vidha Lal & Abhimanyu Lal (kathak Dancer), Vidhushi Geetanjali Lal (Kathak dance), Pandit Ram Mohan Maharaj (Kathak Dance) Pandit Kali Nath Mishra (Tabla). Vidhushi Tripti Mukherjee ( deciple of Sangeet Mrtand Padma Vibhushan Pandit Jasraj), Pandit Ram Kumar Mishra (Tabla) Pandit Prem Kumar Mallick (Dhrupad),

Padamshree Ustad Faiyas Wasifuddin Dagar (Dhrupad) , Smt Madhu Bhat Tailang (Dhrupad)  And Many More…..

                                

Concert's National & International’s -

• Pakhawaj solo at Dhrupad Festival, Varanasi.

• Performed On The Occasion Of X1X Common Wealth Games Delhi (2010).

• Vedic Heritage Annual Music Festival. In Hempsted, New York, (America).

• 136th -  Shree Baba Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan 2011,Jalandhar.

• Taal vadya kachehri organized by sangeetayani and Gulab Bari, in Allahabad.

• Annual Festival of Classical  Music and Dance. Jeruslum , U.S.A  (America).

• International Music Festival In Bejing (China)

• 64th Republicday celebration organized by IBPC In Dubai & Abu Dabhi  

• Holi Mohotsava organized by Vedic Heritage, New york in Lonavala.

• Bharat Bhavan Dhrupad Parv in Bhopal

• Concert organized by China embassy ,in Bejing & Shanghai 

• Dhrupad Parv Organized by Doordarshan kendre Bhopal and dhrupad sansthan

• Swami Haridass Annual Sangeet Sammelan Vrindavan (solo)

• Lok Sabha chanal Sur Saptak program.

• Rashtrapati Bhawan MuSIC Organization New Delhi.

• Tansen Music Festival Gwalior

• Cheenai Music Academy music festival. In Cheenai

• Bangalore music academy festival in Bangalore

• Nihalghar Music Festival in Nihal Ghar

• Triveni Mahotsava, in Allahabad.

• Dhauli utsava festival,in Bhubhneshwar

• Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar Memorial Dhrupad Festival, Mumbai.

• Solo Pakhawaj at Saptak Annual Music Festival, Ahemadabad. 

• Solo pakhawaj at Pawas Mahotsava,Bhopal.

• Shree Baba Harivallabh Sangeet Samellan,in Jalandhar 2011

• Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Academy,Lucknow

• Dhrupad Jugalbandi Utsava International Festival organized by Dordarshan Kendre,&Dhrupad kendre, in Bhopal

• Unity In Diversity Festival Organized by C.C.R.T, Pune.

• Doordarshan National Program of Music, played with his father,(5-09-09)

• Itarsi Madhaya Pradesh Music Festival.

• Chalo Man Ganga Yauna Teer,in Allahabad.

• West Bengal State Music festival,in kolkatta

• Durga Puja Sangeet Samaroh, Allahabad.

• Katni Madhaya pradesh Music Festival

• All India Radio Music Festival, Kolkata 2010 

• Rotary Club music festival,Allahabad

• All India Music Consfrence Prayag Sangeet Samiti,Allahabad.

• Sangeet sahitya utsava ,sonbhadra dalla.

• World Dance day Festival In. Patna

• Natraj Mohotsava in Patna

• Bhartiya Kala Kendre Annual Music Festival Delhi.

• Itarsi music & Dance festival in .Itarsi

• Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak  Academy festival, Lucknow,

• Shree Baba Harivallabh Sangeet & Reserch Academy Sangeet Samaroh Jalandhar.

• Social Upliftment & Cultural Organisation,St,Joseph College, Allahabad.

• Many more…….