Sankha Chatterjee

Pandit Sankha Chatterjee (1934 - 11 October 2024) was a renowned Indian tabla player whose unique style blended elements of the Farrukhabad, Punjab, and Delhi gharanas. Born into a musical family in Calcutta, his father was a doctor and music enthusiast who ensured his early formal training under Ustad Maseet Khan of the Farrukhabad Gharana. He subsequently studied under Maseet Khan's son Ustad Keramatulla Khan and later the legendary Ustad Alla Rakha Khan of the Punjab Gharana. This multi-gharana training gave his playing a distinctive character that combined technical precision with rhythmic versatility. Chatterjee divided his time between teaching in Berlin and India, holding workshops across Europe and the United States. His leading students include prominent tabla virtuosos such as Gouri Shankar Karmakar, Subhojyoti Guha, Amit Chatterjee, Mihir Kundu, and Hindole Majumdar. His elder daughter Vidushi Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay is a leading classical vocalist.