Gurus
Pt. Raghunandan Panshikar
Pt. Raghunandan Panshikar is a leading exponent of the Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana. He spent over two decades studying with his guru Smt. Kishori Amonkar and also received invaluable guidance from her mother Smt. Mogubai Kurdikar. Raghunandan ji’s music reflects purity and adherence to tradition. Characteristic to the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, he presents a full throated akaar, dazzling taans, a sophisticated use of meend and gamak, and a clever grasp of the intricacies of layakari. He is also known for singing rare compound (jod) ragas such as Bhoop Nat, Shuddha Nat, Savani Nat, Basant Bahar, Anand Malhar and Sampoorna Malkauns. He is a recipient of the Smt. Manik Verma Puraskar, Sangeet Kala Ratna Puraskar for Hindustani Music as has also received the Zee Gaurav Puraskar, MaTaa Sanman and Ramkrishnabua Vaze Puraskar for his work as a music director. Radhika is one of Raghunandanji’s senior students and has studied with him for over fifteen years.
Padmavibhushan Smt. Girija Devi
Smt. Girija Devi ji (1929 to 2017) was one of the few living legends of Hindustani music belonging to the Benaras Gharana. Decorated with the Padmashree, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan as well as the Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Girija Devi ji is better known as the Queen of Thumri. In the summer of 2009, Radhika received a scholarship from SPICMACAY to spend a month learning from Smt. Girija Devi ji at the Sangeet Research Academy in Kolkata. Fascinated by her music, Radhika returned year after year to learn from the doyen. She has accompanied her on tanpura as well as vocal support in several concerts across the country.
Padma and Suresh Wadkar
Radhika owes her introduction to music to her first guru Smt. Padma Wadkar, vice principle of Acharya Jiyalal Vasant Sangeet Niketan (Ajivasan). Radhika was only eight years old when she joined the institute and it was her beloved Padma Tai who introduced her to the world of seven notes. Later, Radhika also learnt from Suresh Wadkar ji, a senior playback singer who has trained under Pt. Jiyalal Vasant of the Patiala Gharana. Every vacation, Radhika would move in to Ajivasan and learn music in the gurukul system. Under their guidance, Radhika completed her sangeet Visharad from Prayag Sangeet Samiti in Allahabad with distinction. She also had the opportunity to sing as a child playback singer for a few Bollywood songs as well as perform on several television shows such as Star Yaar Kalakar, Zee SRGMP, Fulwari Bacchon Ki, Aao Jhumein Gayen.
