| When music runs
in blood, it is bound to make
one feel the blood go through
his vein in awe of an artist like
Vijay Jagtap. Hailing from a distinguished
lineage of Jagtap family, Vijay
Jagtap has inherited music as
legacy from his father, Pandit
Jagannath Jagtap, who is a renowned
Tabla and Pakhawaj artist, and
his grandfather, Shankar Jagtap
- a well-known Sarangi player,
singer, writer and poet.
From the tender of age of seven,
Vijay Jagtap displayed an exceptional
ability to grasp any element of
the art and pursued it with mature
dedication. His talent in music
was tuned to perfection by his
training and ardent endeavour
to develop inner strength and
empathy with the classical lineage
of Hindustani music.
Vijay Jagtap emerged as a talented
musician. He completed his Masters
degree with 1st class from the
Maharaja Sayajirao University
of Baroda, India. In 1982 the
late renowned sitar maestro Shri
Arvind Dighe accepted him as his
disciple. This was a turning point
in his life. Vijay Jagtap was
educated in the “Guru Shishya
Parampara” style, a vision
of music with its roots firmly
planted in the classical and spiritual
aspects of Dhrupad (the traditional
style of singing) and whose disciples
learn music as a development of
the inner self.
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In
1982 Vijay Jagtap had his
debut concerts in India. Since
then there has been no looking
back for this exceptionally
talented musician to give
numerous concerts in India
and abroad. His concerts have
been highly acclaimed and
noted for their sensitivity,
aesthetic appeal and musical
insight. He has a fine command
of technique, evoking the
various textures of the music
and its moods. Vijay Jagtap
is known for his innovative
blending of Eastern and Western
instruments in his creative
work. One can feel the deftness
of his hands, purity of his
spirit, by merely listening
to his performance, which
makes the listener sail through
a new sky of reveries. |
During the period between 1989
and 2004, Vijay Jagtap was a teacher
and head of the sitar department
at the Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan -
Europe’s major institution
of Indian music and allied performing
arts, where he shared his great
musical heritage with his sitar
students.
In 1998 Vijay Jagtap had the privilege
to perform of the Westminster
Abbey, London, in the presence
of Her Majesty the Queen and His
Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh
on the occasion of an Observance
for Commonwealth Day. He is the
first Indian classical artiste
to ever perform at the Westminster
Abbey, London.
From
September 1991 to March 1992,
he participated in a documentary
made for the Horniman Museum.
The documentary was about Sitar
and Indian Classical Music. It
explored different aspects of
sitar playing techniques, as well
as two performances of Raga (traditional
classical music).
Vijay has given many BBC television
and radio performances. He has
tasted success not only as a
music performer, but also a
composer. His compositions have
appeared around the world in
the famous BBC series “Dangerfield”.
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