Vivek Sonar

Early life

Vivek Sonar was born in Chalisgaon a place in the Jalgaon district of the Indian State of Maharashtra. His Father Ramchandra Sonar was a pious, religiously active person from the tradition of Varkaris. He learned basic vocal music as a child from his father and later on switched to the Bansuri as his instrument.

Career

Vivek Sonar started playing the flute as a hobby at the age of 8 and at the same time was receiving training from his father for Indian Classical Vocal Music. He started learning formally under Pandit Purushottam Antapurkar in Chalisgaon at the age of 15. He graduated from Pune University in Commerce in 1996 and started working with Indian Express in the Circulation department of The Indian Express. In 1997 he started learning from the Legendary Flautist Pt. Hariprasad Chauraisa. Since then he quit his corporate job to turn in as a musician. He graduated in music as a Sangeet Visharad from the Akhil Bharatiya Gandharv Mahavidhyalaya in 2002 and has been performing all over the world as a Solo artist as well as accompanying Legendary artists like Pandita Kishoritai Amonkar, Pandit Birju Maharaj and Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. He is an All India Radio 'B' high Graded artist and has several performances lined up with the AIR Akashwani all throughout the year.

Bansuri Utsav & Flute Symphony

Vivek Sonar is credited to start the first annual music festival in India dedicated to the Indian Classical Flute as a Solo instrument. The Festival also stages his unique concept of Flute symphony where more that 50 flautists perform compositions created by him. The Fest also stages an award by the name of Padmavibhushan Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia to felicitate senior musicians who have contributed to Indian Classical Music.

Awards