Pandit Chandrakant Sardeshmukh

Chandrakant Sardeshmukh is a Sitar Player from Pune and currently based in Tokyo Japan. Born in a traditional family of Ayurvedic Vaidyas (doctors) with knowledge of classical music for 10 generations, he started playing the sitar at the age of four under the guidance of Ustad Shabuddin Khan and Khurshid Mirajkar. He was declared as child prodigy at the age of 8 by Pandit Ravi Shankar. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was very pleased with his childhood performance in Sawai Gandharva Music Festival in 1963.

From 1963 to 1976 his talent flourished under the tutelage of Pandit Ravi Shankar and Mrs. Annapurna Devi. Dr. Chandrakant Sardeshmukh is an accomplished sitar player, being a senior disciple of Pt. Ravi Shankar and Mrs. Annapurna Devi. He has performed many concerts in Germany, Australia, Japan and America.

He was the First Master Fellow of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (India)during 1971-1976.

In 1976, University of Rajasthan honored him with the title Sangeet Vibushan (sitar scholar) and in the same year, Soor Singar Sansad, Bombay, awarded him the title Soormani.

His Holiness Jagadguru Shri Shankaracharya from Sringeri Sharada Peetham felicitated him as the Darbari Sitarvadak (royal sitarist) in 1981.

He is Arts graduate from Fergusson College, Pune and went on to do Master of Arts in Hindi and Sanskrit from University of Poona. Dr. Sardeshmukh is a scholar and researcher in the Samavedic music tradition. The University of Poona awarded him a Ph.D. in Sanskrit for the thesis entitled "Samavedic Basis of Indian Music." The essence of this research was published through the Indian national press in 1987.

He is also director of the Sama Sangeet Sabha and Research Centre, Bharatiya Sanskriti Darshan Trust, Vagholi, Pune and in this role, actively promotes traditional Indian culture and art forms throughout the world.