About
Born on 21 March, daughter of well known painter Shri Sachida Nagdev, learning Sitar under the 'Guru-Shishya' tradition from the age of four. Her Guru Late Shri Vasudeo Rao Ashtewale was a traditional Sitar player from the well known 'Ashtewale Gharana' of Ujjain. She became 'Ganda-bandha Shagird' (disciple) of Sarod Maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan in 1997. Conferred with the title of ‘Surmani’ by Sur-Singar Samsad in the year 1992. Awarded scholarship of CCRT New.Delhi from 1984 to 1991 and scholarship to young artists in cultural field by Govt of India in 1995 for two years. Awarded Junior fellowship from Ministry of Culture for two years. M.A. in Ancient Indian History and Master of Music from Khairagarh Music University, Madhya Pradesh. Collaborated and performed with numerous Indian and European musicians.
Snapshot-
‘Sur-mani’ Title by ‘Sur Singar Samsad’,Mumbai, 1992
South central zone cultural award in Mysore, 1990
‘Shayama Prasad Mukharjee Kala Samman’, 2012
‘Bhaskar Woman of the Year’ Award, 2011
Co-ordination for the International part of ‘Tansen Samaroh’,Gwalior for 4 years.
'Festival of India' Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Oct.2016.
Lecture /demonstration on Indian classical Music and performance at Hong-Kong
Academy of Performing Arts, Sep.2016
Beijing and Eurasia University, Xian (China) Sep.2016 .
Invited to perform at the opening ceremony of 'Zhujiajiao Water village International
Music Festival' Sep.2016 (Shanghai),China.
Lecture/ demonstration on Indian classical Music and performance at ‘Music conservatory’
‘Singapore Fine Art Society’, ‘Nanyang Technical University ‘ and ‘National University
of Singapore’ Lecture-demonstration and concerts, Jan 2015
Performed at ‘Tansen Sangeet Samaroh’,Gwalior
Performed in ‘India Week, Puteaux (France) for ‘Homage to Pt,Ravi Shankar”April 2013
Performed with Guru Ustad Amjad Ali Khan at Wigmore Hall, London June 2012.
Performed at ‘Guimet Museum’, Paris 2010. ‘Poetry and Sitar’with French actors 2022
Invited in ‘San Francisco International Festival of Arts’ in May 2009.
Invited for ‘Artist in Residence’ Programme by the French Government 2005.
Concerts in India –
Orchha Festival 2020
Performance at IGNCA ( Indira Gandhi National center for Arts ),New Delhi,2019
‘Uttaradhikar’ concert at ‘Janjatiya Sangralaya’, Bhopal Mar 2017
Bangalore School of Music, Feb 2017
‘Swar-Maitry’ with European group ‘Piloot’ at ‘Museum of Mankind’ Bhopal and
Ahmedabad, 2016
Music direction in the theatrical play ‘Ambapali’ related to Lord Buddha , 2015 and ‘Jal-
Tarang’ (based on Indian classical music)
Bhabha Atomic Centre (Trombay) July 2014
‘Tansen Sangeet Samaroh’, Gwalior Dec 2013.
Azad Bhavan, ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations)New Delhi, August,2013
Indira Gandhi National Museum of Mankind, Bhopal 2009 and Mysore 2010
Indian National Theatre, Chandigarh,2007
Bhatkhande Music College, Lucknow,2007
Sangeet Natak Academy, New Delhi. Young Artist Festival, Jammu ,2005
Bharat Bhawan, Bhopal 2005.
‘Malhar Utsav’ Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur,2004
India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, 2002
Parampara Festival, Khajuraho, 2000
Darpan Academy, Ahmedabad,1997
Shri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry,1996
National Centre for Performing Arts Bombay, 1995
India International Centre, New Delhi, 1993
Swami Haridas Sangeet Sammelan, Sur Singar Samsad, Bombay 1992.
South Central Zone Cultural Centre, Annual Music Festival Vishakhapatnam and
Mysore,1990
Indian Council of World Culture, Bangalore 1987
Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan, Bombay, Bhatkhande Sangeet Samaroh as 'Nutan Kalakar'
1986.
Concerts abroad –
Performance in ‘International Literature festival’, Normandy,France 2023
Music and acting in a French documentary on ‘Humpi’ 2022
Europe concert tour 2019
‘Hotel De Ville’, Indian Embassy (Paris), International Music
Festival(Switzerland),Belgium April-May 2018
Algerian Cultural Centre,Paris July 2017
'Festival of India' Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Oct.2016
Hongkong academy of performing arts, Sep.2016
'Zhujiajiao Water village International Music Festival' Sep.2016 (Shanghai),China.Eurasia
University Xian (China) Sep.2016
Music conservatory, Beijing (China)Sep.2016
World Meditation Conference,’Tapovan’Center , Normandy (France), Belgium and
Switzerland, 2015
‘Singapore fine art society’, ‘Nanyang Technical University ‘ and ‘National University of
Singapore’ concerts, jan.2015
Concerts in France,Belgium sep.2014
Performed in ‘India Week, Puteaux (France) for ‘Homage to Pt.Ravi Shankar’ April 2013
Performed with Guru Ustad Amjad Ali Khan at Wigmore Hall, London June 2012.
Performed at ‘Guimet Museum’ Paris, 2010 ‘Poetry and Sitar’ with French actors, 2022
Invited in ‘San Francisco International Festival of Arts’ in May 2009.
Performed at Indian Independence Day celebration at International Labour Organization,
Geneva (Switzerland),’India festival’, Zurich Center ‘Mandapa’ and ‘Iranian Cultural
Centre’ Paris and Austria 2008
Concerts at Sharjah World Book Fair and Arts Area UAE, 2007
World Intelligence Property Organization WIPO, U.N. Geneva Switzerland 2007.
Invited for ‘Artist in Residence’ Programme by the French Government 2005, Worked
with French Jazz Group ‘Images Quartet’.
Concerts in Switzerland (UNO Geneva), France, Austria,Nov. 2004.
Cultural Troup Silk Route Festival China,2004
Concerts in Singapore, 2000.
Visited China as cultural delegate in 1998.
Cultural Organisations in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi in UAE in 1987.
Apart from the above, invited and performed at many other prestigious stages in India and
ANTARANG: Invocation to Goddess Saraswati by Smita Nagdev (Sitarist). Inauguration of BLF 2024