Event

Pandit Nirmalya Dey with Pandit Mohan Shyam Sharma

Day of show tickets still available at the door.

World-renown Dagarvani Dhrupad singer, Pandit Nirmalya Dey will be giving his first Dhrupad performance in Portland. He will be accompanied by the legendary Pandit Mohan Shyam Sharma on the pakhawaj, the traditional Dhrupad drum.

Nirmalya Dey is a prominent master vocalist and teacher in the tradition of Dagarvani Dhrupad. From 1988 til 2013, Nirmalya Dey learned from celebrated Dhrupad master, Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar. He regularly performed with Ustad Z.F. Dagar until he passed away.

Early in his career, Nirmalya Dey's musical prowess was acknowledged as he won the first prize at the National Music Competition organized by the All India Radio (AIR) in 1979. In recognition of his excellence and achievement in Dhrupad, Nirmalya Dey was awarded the senior fellowship by the Ministry of Human Resource Department, Government of India. He was later bestowed with the Top Grade by the Music Audition Board (MAB) of India's national broadcasting channel, All India Radio, for his distinctive musical art in the Dhrupad tradition.

Nirmalya Dey is a distinguished artist and has been invited to perform in numerous prestigious festivals and concerts in India and abroad. Beside his solo performances, Nirmalya has adopted the tradition of Jugalbandi, the musical dialogue between two musicians of the same genre, and sang with Rudra Veena Maestro Ustad Bahauddin Dagar for several concerts.

Despite the demands placed on his schedule as a performer, Nirmalya Dey is a devoted teacher, grooming and initiating the next generation of artists in Dhrupad. He has taught at the University of Delhi and Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra (Delhi). He has conducted Dhrupad workshops around the world, including in Europe and North America. When not performing, Nirmalya teaches at the Dhrupad Gurukul in Delhi, India.