Riyaz Institute of Hindustani Music offers instruction in North Indian vocal music and Tabla. Classes take place in a relaxed, friendly and inclusive environment in downtown Toronto or at our Mississauga location. Lessons are open to beginners, intermediate and advanced students. We are able to offer private, group and online classes.
Training consists of the traditional tabla solo repertoire (peshkaar, kaida, rella, gat and tukra) in a variety of tala (rhythm cycles). Through learning to count the tala using claps and waves as well as padanth (recitation of tabla syllables) the student will progress through the traditional repertoire starting with simpler pieces and gradually moving to more advanced ones. Lessons can be designed for the specific needs of the student and can encompass such concepts as accompaniment to vocal and instrumental music, playing with cross cultural music and playing with bhajans and kirtan.
Shirshendu Mukherjee
Born in a family of music connoisseurs, Shirshendu Mukherjee was inducted into music at the tender age of 3 under the tutelage of Smt. Chandana Chakrabarty. Later on, he joined ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata as a Scholar and received extensive training under his Guru Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, the doyen of Patiala-Kasur Gharana.
Shirshendu started performing at the age of 14 by rendering at the Annual Classical Music Programme organized by Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Kolkata when he shared the dais with the giants of Indian Classical Music viz. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Birju Maharaj, Ustad Zakir Hussain. He has been a regular performer in various major conferences in India as well as in Europe, wherein he has been highly appreciated by the connoisseurs of Indian Classical Music. He is a ‘B-High’ grade artiste and a regular performer with All India Radio and Doordarshan Kendra Kolkata.