05-Mar-2021 12:00 AM
2003
Pandit Nirmalya Dey is amongst the world’s foremost living masters of the Dhrupad – the oldest tradition of Indian classical music. Pandit Dey performs and teaches in India, Europe and the USA and represents the 20th generation of Dagarvani Dhrupad.
Dhrupad is a core part of Indian culture, regarded as an ancient form of musical art that maintained uninterrupted tradition of Indian classical music in pristine form. The art of Dhrupad takes decades of sophisticated and rigorous training with the masters to embody. Pandit Nirmalya Dey has the background of training under the tutelage of the legendary master Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar in the true guru-shishya tradition, spent extended time with the celebrated master to imbibe the art of Dhrupad. He continued to take advanced training and also regularly provided vocal accompaniment for Ustad’s concerts until he passed away in 2013. The teachings and association with the master for thirty-five years have enabled him to imbibe the nuances of the Dhrupad and its vast range of Ragas and traditional compositions.
Pandit Dey’s greatest contribution has been the preservation, nurturing and propagation of the art of Dhrupad through his commitment to teaching and his generosity as a teacher and master of the Dhrupad. A handful of students from India and abroad are being trained under his guidance and performing to maintain the tradition Dagarvani Dhrupad. He has been presenting concerts and conducting workshops organised by the prestigious organisations in India and abroad for last twenty-five years.
Accolades
- Top grade artist of the All India Radio and the national television channel (Doodarshan).
Empanelled in Outstanding category with ICCR.
- Pandit Vasant Rao Thakar memorial fellowship conferred by Sanskriti Foundation, Delhi (2014).
- Senior fellowship from the Ministry of Human Resources Department, Government of India, from 1996 to 1998.
- Received Navdeep award from Navdeep Pratishthan, Ahmedabad as recognition of potential young Drupad singer (1993).
- Recipient of Surmani title from Surshringer Samsad, Mumbai, for excellence of Dhrupad singing (1991).