20 March 2024/
RENOWNED HINDUSTANI MUSICIAN PROF. HARVINDER SINGH WAS HONOURED SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI AWARD 2022 FOR HIS OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE FIELD OF HINDUSTANI VOCAL
Hon’ble President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu conferred Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (Akademi Puraskar) for the year 2022 to the eminent musician Prof. Harvinder Singh for his outstanding contributions in the field of performing art, Hindustani Vocal in the presence of Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Hon’ble Minister of Culture and Tourism & Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Hon’ble Minister of State for Law and Justice & Parliamentary Affairs and Culture at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 6 March 2024.
Prof. Harvinder Singh expressed his gratitude and happiness for the felicitations and the honour bestowed on him.
“Felicitation of art is a moment of utmost happiness for every artist and I also feel the same,” says Prof. Harvinder Singh, renowned musician and versatile artist from Chandigarh who encourages our rich tradition and culture with pristine glory.
Prof. Harvinder Singh received musical guidance at a very early age from his father, Freedom fighter (Late) Bhai Santa Singh, a noted Gurbani Kirtankar and an Ex-serviceman. Being a disciple of the ‘Khalifa’ of Agra Gharana Ustad Yunus Hussain Khan and Pandit Yashpaul, Prof. Harvinder Singh imbibed the unique traits of ‘Agra gayakee’ and inherited a vast repertoire of rare ragas and compositions.
Later he studied under the tutelage of legends Pandit Laxman Krishanrao, Pandit Atam Prakash Sharma of Gwalior Gharana, Ustad Tarlochan Singh, disciple of legendary musician Ustad Abdul Waheed Khan of Kairana Gharana and Vichitra Veena player Pandit Gopal Krishan, disciple of Sitar Maestro Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shanker. He was very fortunate to receive training of the highest order in distinctly prominent Gharanas- Agra, Gwalior and Kairana.
His style is marked for his unique Alaap, Behlava, Bol-Alaap, Bol-Baant, Bol-Taans, variations of Taans, Layakaari and unique rendition of Compositions with perfection. Other than Khayal, he is equally proficient in Dhamaar, Thumri, Tarana, Dadra, Kafi and Bhajan. He has also composed various Khayal, Geet, Ghazal and Bhajan Compositions. Creativity with a blessed voice and gifted ability, he blends different traditions in his own style with variations marking his presence unique.
Prof. Harvinder Singh has performed at the prestigious platforms of AIR, Doordarshan and also associated with the academics for over three decades and retired as Professor at Department of Music, P.G. Government College for Girls, Chandigarh. He is rendering his services as RAC Member of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and works in many Committees and Boards of various Universities and educational institutions.
He has been conferred with numerous awards including ‘Sangeet Manishi’, ‘Kala Shree’, ‘Pandit Ghanarang Prakash Samman’, Honour by Legislative Assembly of Alberta (Canada). Many of his research papers have been published in different books and International journals.
Prof. Harvinder Singh has also trained and nurtured a large number of students in the field of Classical and Light music, some of whom are successfully associated with the Bollywood and Punjabi Music Industry. Besides being a graded artist of AIR and performed extensively all over India and abroad, Prof. Harvinder Singh’s music stands as the eternal symbol of our rich traditions of art and culture.
