Souravbrata Chakraborty is a distinguished contemporary exponent of the Surbahar and Sitar, noted especially for his dedication to the rare and majestic Surbahar tradition rooted in dhrupad aesthetics. His early musical training began under his mother Mala Chakraborty, followed by advanced tutelage in sitar from eminent maestros including Pandit Manilal Nag, Pandit Kashinath Mukherjee, and Dr. Pradip Kumar Chakraborty. He later pursued intensive training in Surbahar through the traditional guru–shishya and gurukul systems under masters such as Acharya Netai Bose, Steven Landsberg, Ustad Bahauddin Dagar, Pandit Umakant Gundecha, and Pandit Ramakant Gundecha. At present, he continues to refine the deeper subtleties of Hindustani raga music under the esteemed guidance of Pandit Sanjoy Bandopadhyay, whose profound musical insight and holistic artistic vision remain a major influence on his musical evolution.
Over the last fifteen years, Souravbrata has performed extensively across India, Europe, and Southeast Asia at prestigious venues and festivals including National Centre for the Performing Arts, India Habitat Centre, Kalakshetra Foundation, Tansen Sangeet Samaroh, and several Dhrupad festivals organized by Sangeet Natak Akademi. He has also appeared at nationally significant events including Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and the G20 Summit.
Souravbrata has played a significant role in reviving and disseminating the Surbahar tradition.
A recipient of the prestigious Sur Mani Award, Souravbrata has played a significant role in reviving and disseminating the Surbahar tradition. He was awarded the Junior Research Fellowship by the Ministry of Culture for his research on Surbahar and was invited by the Rietberg Museum to document and interpret ragas connected with historic Ragamala paintings. Alongside his performing career, he is an accomplished teacher and SPIC MACAY empanelled artist, actively mentoring students in Surbahar, Sitar, and Hindustani classical music through both institutional and individual training.
