Vsk Baithak

27/10/2022

Recital by Dr. Pournima Dhumale
30th October, 2022 starting at 6.30pm

Many months ago I saw some short videos of Dr. Pournima Dhumale’s Recital at Chinmoy Kaladkar’s home. I was so taken up by what I experienced that I not only regretted not being able to attend that Baithak but also resolved to request Purnima to come and sing at our home. It is thus that Pournima Dhumale will be singing for us on Sunday, 30th October.

Pournima has received intensive learning in all the 3 major Gharanas - Kirana, Agra, and Gwalior. And sings, from whatever little I heard, with great intensity and soulfulness. I have not heard her in person as yet, and am greatly looking forward to the Recital at home which hopefully will bring out the very best in her. Pournima is currently the Associate Professor and Head of the PG Department of Music at SNDT Women’s University, Pune. She will be accompanied by Suyog Kundalkar on Harmonium and Pushkar Dilip Mahajan on Tabla - both from Pune.

We will telecast this Recital on our Youtube Channel to enable as many of the VSK Baithak fraternity to share this music with me - https://youtu.be/Gcoo0cV-qNM. The Recital will start around 6.30pm.

I am sure that those of you who can join will find this an enriching experience.
Vinod Kapur

LIVE STREAMING BY:- VSK BAITHAK

21/09/2022

Recital by Sudip Chattopadhyay and Madhumita Chattopadhyay
25th September, 2022 starting at 6.30pm

As an exception to the rule, I have a Baithak on Sunday 25th September which will feature two artistes - Sudip Chattopadhyay and Madhumita Chattopadhyay - husband and wife - from Kolkata. Sudip who plays the Flute, a torch bearer of Pandit Pannalal Ghosh Gharana, is a Top Grade artiste of AIR. Madhumita excels in Purab Ang Gayaki - Thumri, Dadra and other traditional forms - and was the top awardee - Girija Devi Puraskar - in the Purab Ang Gayaki Utsav of 2011. She is a shishya of Purnima Choudhary of Banaras Gharana. Sudip will play the flute first and sustaining the same emotive mode Madhumita will follow with renditions of Thumri, Dadra and other forms of Purab Ang. I do believe that it will be an evening of exceptional joy.

We will telecast this Recital on our Youtube Channel to enable as many of the VSK Baithak fraternity to share this music with me - https://youtu.be/UOEzFbbJFeI. The Recital will start around 6.30pm.

I am sure that those of you who can join will find this an enriching experience.

Vinod Kapur

17/08/2022

Recital by Prashant Mallick and Nishant Mallick
21st August, 2022 starting at 6.30pm

Fortunately, notwithstanding compelling distractions, there are yet a large number of artistes pursuing classical music and sustaining its integrity. Amongst them, Prashant Mallick and Nishant Mallick, popularly known as Mallick Brothers, are protagonists of undiluted and compelling Darbhanga Tradition of Dhrupad which goes back through centuries.

On my invitation Prashant and Nishant Mallick will be singing at my home at Khandsa on Sunday, 21st August.

We will telecast this Recital on our Youtube Channel to enable as many of the VSK Baithak fraternity to share this music with me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHyjKrff1mQ. The Recital will start around 6.30pm.

I am sure that those of you who can join will find this an enriching experience.

Vinod Kapur

29/06/2022

Recital by Dr. Sangita Nirurkar
3rd July, 2022 starting at 6.30pm

An artiste that Rani and I were looking forward to listening to at home after we had heard her on YouTube was Sangita Nerurkar from Pune. And then Covid arrived and sadly everything and every plan including my life went awry. After a long time I am summoning emotional courage to listen to vocal music once again and there could be no better occasion than on the evening of Sunday 3rd July - 4th July being Rani’s birthday. And there could be no more appropriate an artiste - an artiste that we both wanted to hear than Sangita. She excels in Saigal and Begum Akhtar songs which she renders hauntingly.

The Baithak will be in two halves. The first half - 6.30 - 8.00pm will be devoted to Begum Akhtar. The second half commencing around 8.30pm will be devoted exclusively to K. L. Saigal who she evokes so utterly soulfully.

We will telecast this Recital on our Youtube Channel to enable as many of the VSK Baithak fraternity to share this music with me - https://youtu.be/wAoVFv3dEL4. The Recital will start around 6.30pm.

I am sure that those of you who can join will find this an enriching experience.

Vinod Kapur

26/05/2022

I have invited Debasmita Bhattacharya from Kolkata for a Sarod Recital on 29th May, 2022. Daughter of Pandit Debasish Bhattacharya a Sarod Maestro himself and shishya of Legendary of Pandit Buddhadev Dasgupta of the Senia Shahjahanpur Gharana, Debasmita has over the years emerged as one of the leading and most melodious exponents of Sarod who has played widely both in India and at large number of Festivals beyond. I am greatly looking forward to this Recital which ordinarily should be from 7.00pm to 9.00pm on Sunday 29th May, 2022. At my place in Khandsa.

She will be accompanied on Tabla by Zuheb Ahmed Khan.

We will telecast this Recital on our Youtube Channel to enable as many of the VSK Baithak fraternity to share this music with me - https://youtu.be/yvCAEto83cY. The Recital will start around 7pm.

I am sure that those of you who can join will find this an enriching experience.

Vinod Kapur

11/05/2022

My wife Rani moved on to be with her Maker on 15th May, 2021 etching a date in our lives that will never be forgotten. An year later, I am still trying to come to terms with the loss and the hugely altered reality.

To commemorate Mrs. Kapur, I am having a Prayer Meeting led by Pandit Madhup Mudgal on 15th May, 2022 from 6.30pm to 8.00pm at my place in Khandsa which will be telecast live on Zoom. Meeting ID: 872 2068 4139; Passcode: 1234; https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87220684139?pwd=RU9vcWtRd1V5UEJqTW93ZmdhblB2UT09.

If you can - do join us.

Vinod Kapur

15/12/2021

Sangeeta Shankar will be playing for the VSK Baithak at our home in Gurgaon on 19th December, 2021. Sangeeta Shankar is an accomplished and hugely gifted violinist, and daughter of the eminent Dr. N. Rajam. And like her Guru she plays in the “Gayaki Ang”. Having heard her I have been greatly moved by the emotive manner in which she makes her violin sing and I am therefore greatly looking forward to her Recital.

She will be accompanied by Tabla Maestro Ustad Akram Khan.

We will telecast this Recital by Zoom to enable as many of the VSK Baithak fraternity to share this music with me. The Recital will start around 6pm.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85973205669?pwd=OHJ4ZDFNdndaTzlBczlTMGRIRkE5Zz09

Meeting ID: 859 7320 5669
Passcode: 1234

I am sure that those of you who can join will find this an enriching experience.

Vinod Kapur

19/11/2021

VSK Baithaks - Revival by Zoom Telecast

For reasons beyond anyones imagination, all social interaction came to virtually a total closure in 2020. Even today there is great hesitancy - possibly rightly so - to revert to social connectivity in the manner that it was. And thus, there have been no VSK Baithaks at WWF since 8th February 2020.

Most sadly, what added hugely to aggravation at my personal level is the unexpected and sudden loss of my wife Mrs. Rani Kapur in May 2021 due to Covid. My own life therefore has since been in a state of great disruption.

And yet life has to go on.

In an effort to reconnect with life and living, I am recommencing my live relationship with Music through holding small Baithaks at my home where the numbers necessarily need to be kept very limited. Further since I live in Gurgaon it is not practical for most in Delhi to join me at these home Baithaks. Even so I wish to continue to support sustenance of Indian Classical Music and encourage artistes - both established and the more talented of the new generation - to be heard by music enthusiasts of Delhi/NCR.

The first such VSK Baithak will be held on Sunday 21st November, 2021 from 6pm to 8.30pm at my residence in Gurgaon. It will feature Sahana Banerjee, an outstanding, and most melodious exponent of Sitar. Born and brought up in Bengal, daughter and shishya of eminent Sitar Maestro of Rampur Senia Gharana Pandit Santosh Banerjee, Sahana presently lives in Pune. Although she has been performing widely, I have not had the opportunity to listen to her personally. Going by whatever I have heard or seen I am greatly looking forward to Sahana Banerjee’s Recital. She will be accompanied by Tabla Maestro Ustad Akram Khan.

I am utilising this occasion to enable as many of the VSK Baithak fraternity to share this Recital with me by having this telecast by Zoom.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82197093005?pwd=TFl4R1hCNXBFalpSWUpuTEN6NVFVdz09

Meeting ID: 821 9709 3005
Passcode: 1234

I am sure that those of you who can join will find this an enriching experience - even though I know it can never be quite like the Living Baithak.

Vinod Kapur

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03/07/2021

We will be commemorating Mrs. Rani Kapur's Birthday on 4th July with a session of soulful songs, and some words of Remembrance from 6.30 to 8pm, and will be very glad to have you join us on this special occasion on Zoom. 
Meeting ID: 846 4464 6486 Passcode: 1234. 
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84644646486?pwd=ZDlqQzZ2Q3BtUGZRVFFaQkE3Q1RGQT09

30/01/2020

We invite you for a Recital by Aruna Sairam at WWF on Saturday 8th February 2020, . Do join us.

02/11/2019

We invite you for a Recital by Meghana Kulkarni at WWF on Saturday 9th November 2019, . Do join us.