Considered among the front ranking tabla players from India, Abhijit Banerjee is one of the most sought-after creative artists in the realm of Indian classical music. Abhijit has crafted a unique style and creative approach which has brought him accolades and awards from all over the world for his sensitivity, skill and deep sense of musicality. Apart from his contributions to Indian music he has left his mark in a diverse field of crossover music both as a performer.
and composer. Recognizing his talent and natural inclination towards music his father steered him to tabla at the age of four. Abhijit’s training started with Tushar Kanti Bose and continued under Pandit Manik Paul , one of Kolkata’s acclaimed tabla player and staff artist of All Indian Radio, India. Abhijit also studied vocal music and violin making a complete musician out of him. He was accepted as one of pioneering disciples of the illustrious guru Jnan Prakash Ghosh. Abhijit belongs to the FARUKHABAD Gharana of Indian Tabla tradition.
Abhijit has accompanied nearly all the top-ranking luminaries of Indian classical music including Pt. Ravi Shankar, late Pt. Nikhil Banerjee, Begum Parween Sultana, Pt. Jasraj, Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma, Dr. Balamurali Krishnan to name a few. As a tabla soloist he has also made his mark in numerous performances and recordings in India & abroad. Abhijit has been holding center stage in all of the major classical music festivals in India. and touring extensively in USA, Canada, U.K., Europe, Japan, Australia, South Africa, Southeast Asia and Mexico giving concerts, conducting workshops and attending seminars in the Universities and music schools. His international performances of note include Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Gevant Haus in Germany, Paleis in Brussels, Theatre de la Ville & Radio France in Paris, South Bank, U.K. Abhijit also has had the honor of representing India in the Granada Festival of Music in Spain.
In addition to a highly successful career in Indian Classical music his crossover work includes collaborations with musicians such as Ry Cooder, Larry Corryell and Trilok Gurtu. Abhijit founded his own touring ensemble TARANG performing his original compositions and released CDs of the same title. Abhijit has collaborated with AARHUS JAZZ ORCHESTRA, Denmark and Copenhagen Radio Big Band and a member of the Raga Jazz, Denmark. Abhijit has scored music for Indian television & won the National Award for Documentary Music for the film about Calcutta, which was screened in the Munich and Amsterdam film festivals. Abhijit has founded & established Dhwani Academy of Percussion Music in Los Angeles, New York and Kolkata attracting talented students from around the world. The Academy also works towards the promotion of Indian music and has initiated needy blind children in the art of music. In his academic life he is a graduate in English literature and postgraduate in Journalism.
Abhijit was appointed as an adjunct professor at The College of New Jersey, USA in 2022 and at present the Head of the department of tabla in CHINMAYA VISWA VIDYAPEETH, a deemed to be University in Gurukul System at Kolvan, Maharastra, India.