Ajoy Chakrabarty

Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty (born 25 December 1952) is an Indian classical vocalist, composer, lyricist, and a leading exponent of the Patiala-Kasur gharana. His father Ajit Chakrabarty was his first guru, and he subsequently trained under Pannalal Samanta, Kanaidas Bairagi, Munawar Ali Khan, and Jnan Prakash Ghosh. He also studied with Latafat Hussain Khan, Nibruttibua Sarnaik, Hirabai Barodekar, and learned Carnatic styles from M. Balamuralikrishna. Deeply rooted in the gayaki of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, he is admired for his exceptional range across gharana styles. He graduated from Rabindra Bharati University and became the first scholar of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy in 1977, where he now serves as senior guru. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2020 and the Padma Shri in 2011. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Royal Albert Hall, and Theatre de la Ville.