Santoor has a tone which illustrates the Serenity of Valleys, its Origin.
Santoor is an instrument originally found in the valleys of Kashmir. Initially it used to be played on Folk Music, Sufiana Music as an accompaniment Instrument. Similar Instruments are played in Greece as Santoori, in Iran, Iraq, Turkey as Santour, in Germany as Hackbret, in Hungary and Romania as Cimbalon, in Finland as Kentele. Santoor is also known as Shatatantri Veena. Santoor originally had Hundred Strings; Even today in Kashmir its played as an accompaniment instrument in Folk and Sufi Music with Hundred Strings.
Suddhashil Chatterjee is the recipient of 'Abhinava Swarna Samman 2015' from Abhinava Kala Parishad, Bhopal along with Padmabhushan Gokulotsav Maharaj ji.
Suddhashil, with a gifted inarticulate sense of aestheticism has made an identity of solidarity in the doyen of Indian Classical Music. His Guru, Pt. Shivkumar Sharma's aesthetic training backed up by immense training of Hindustani Vocal Music under Pt. Samaresh Chaudhury amalgated with intense trainning of Tantrakari style of Maihar-Senia Gharana under Pt. Tezendra Narayan Majumder has developed his own style of Santoor Playing.
Connoisseurs, critics and audience in India and abroad are moved with his presentation illustrating the tranquility of Indian Classical Music, otherwise critical in a complicated instrument like Santoor.
His aesthetic touch on the strings make listeners emotionally moved crossing boundaries of language and culture. Connoisseurs are considering framing of his Ragas as rare in Santoor in his Generation.
His musical virtuosity has been well appreciated at prestigious musical organisations and music festivals in India and abroad. Suddhashil is fortunate to be blessed, inspired by Maestros like Late Dr. Gangubai Hangal, Late Pt. Madhav Gudi, Pt. Arvind Parikh.Educationally Suddhashil is an M.Sc in Geology and devoted himself fully into the eternal waves of Hindusthani Classical Music. Suddhashil has been widely appreciated and interviewed by The Press in Dailies like “Nayi Duniya”(M.P.), Maharastra Times (Mumbai), The Statesman (Delhi), Kannada Prabha(Karnataka), Gomantak (Goa), Praja Bani (Karnataka), Dainik Bhaskar (Chandigarh), The Tribune (Chandigarh) etc. Apart from performing Suddhashil also gives Lecture - Demonstration too. His Lecture-Demonstration on ‘Santoor-Metamorphosis of a Folk Instrument’ at International Music Conference and Festival 2011, Bangalore along with musicians and musicologists from Japan, Korea, USA, UK, Singapore, Australia was a knowledge sharing experience for the delegates.Suddhashil also has exposure on World Music. He has played for Musician Group like ‘World Dreams’ of Italy. In India too, Suddhashil has worked with Western instrument players and composed and presented East-West Fusion music at festival like Kharagpur Book Fair, Bengal.