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Samarth Nagarkar (vocal) Amod Dandawate (tabla)  and Arun Ramamurthy (violin) performed raga Kausi Kanada (Nayaki ang) from 11pm-midnight to conclude the 24 hour, Ragas Live Festival 2014. Samarth Nagarkar is acknowledged to be one of today’s foremost and prolific artists representing Hindustani classical music traditions. He is known for his eclectic, captivating performances reflecting extensive training and an artistic vision encompassing tradition and modernity in a rare balance.   After years of rigorous training under the celebrated performer and guru, Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar, he graduated as a Grade-A scholar of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata in 2009. Prior to this, he trained under the eminent late Pt. Dinkar Kaikini in Mumbai, following an inspired early initiation into music by Smt. Aditi Kaikini Upadhya in his hometown Bangalore. By virtue of intense and extensive guru-shishya parampara training Samarth’s performance repertoire encompasses styles, ragas and compositions of three prominent gharanas – Gwalior, Agra and Jaipur.   Samarth performs regularly in most reputed concert platforms and venues in India and the USA, as well as frequently features in television and radio programs across the world. Some of his recent concerts in the US include the Ali Akbar College of Music and Basant Bahar, CA, Chhandayan All Night Concert, New York, Woodstock 2012, and Universities of Stanford, Indiana, Penn State and UPenn, to name only a few. In India he recently performed at several top ranking music festivals and venues including the ITC Sangeet Sammelan, Kolkata, Saptak and D. U. Yuva Sangeetotsav, Bangalore, The National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai and India Habitat Center, New Delhi, among others.   He is a recipient of prestigious national awards including the President’s award for the AIR competition in 2000, which also made him a graded artiste of the AIR. The Government of India awarded him a fellowship in 2009 for his research and documentation of the music of Gwalior gharana through the past century.   He has composed and continues to record music and soundtracks for international and cultural conventions and films. Samarth also authored his first book ‘Raag-Sageet’ published in 2013. He has two CDs/Albums titled ‘Pravah’ and ‘Pranali’ to his credit.   Former head of the K. K. Kapoor Sangeet Research Academy, Lucknow, Samarth has been conducting very successful and popular lecture demonstrations and music workshops across India and the USA. Samarth also spearheaded an Indian Music Choir.   Samarth currently divides him time between the US and India pursuing an active career as a leading performer, composer, teacher and author.