Sharat Chandra Srivastava


Sharat Chandra Srivastava is a North Indian classical violinist and music composer. He represents the Senia gharana.

Early life and training

Srivastava was born in New Delhi on 17 October 1971. He started learning violin at the age of 7 from his grandfather, the renowned North Indian violinist Pt Joi Srivastava.

Career

He has been performing Hindustani classical music for over 25 years. He was part of India's premier rock band Parikrama for 12 years. He left Parikrama in 1999 and started the Delhi-based fusion band called Mrigya. He is also a member of the world music quartet India Alba.
He is a recipient of the National Scholarship from the Ministry of Human Resources and Development, Government of India.
In 1998, he performed with Sting in an all acoustic set at the Channel V awards held at New Delhi. He has also performed with Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Pt. Birju Maharaj and many other stalwarts.

As a teacher

Sharat has taught Indian classical violin at the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, New Delhi from 1999 to 2007.
He has conducted masterclasses at the University of Edinburgh, Royal Scotland Academy of Music and Drama, University of Stratclythe, Glasgow, Scotland. Additionally, he has conducted workshops in Winterthur University, Switzerland and Casa de la India, Valladolid, Spain.

Performance in music festivals

Sharat is the festival director of Strings of the World — a world music festival dedicated to string instruments. It was held in New Delhi in the month of November from 2012 till 2015, and featured award-winning string players from Norway and Scotland. The fifth edition of Strings of the World was held at NCPA in Mumbai in October 2019

Discography

Sharat's training under his guru/grandfather, the renowned violinist Pandit Joi Srivastava, has made him proficient in the 'Dhrupad-Ang', a style unique to this Gharana under the Guru-Shishya Parampara.

Awards and nominations