“First” and “best are two words pointing uniquely to an unprecedented phenomenon in the cultural history of India. This singular phenomenon is Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty. He is the “first” Indian Classical vocalist who is considered the best performer of all kinds of Indian Vocal Music. Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty is the “first” recipient of the “Kumar Gandharva Award”, the “first” classical vocalist of India to receive the President’s award for the best male playback singer in 1990. Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty is also the “first” person to receive Gold Medal from the Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata, the “first” Indian classical vocalist to be invited by the Government of Pakistan to perform in Pakistan and the “first” Indian classical vocalist who has been spanning the cultural gulf between India and the west through extensive musical tours by adapting Indian Classical Music to a universal idiom of feeling.

Born in 1952, Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty could sing before he could talk. His late father Shri Ajit Chakrabarty was his first Guru, followed by great teachers like Late kanaidas bairagi, Late Guru Jnanprakash Ghosh and Late Ustad Munawar Ali Khan( son of the legend Bade Ghulam Ali Khan) to mention as the lead names. Genius combined with exceptional talent also earned him Gold Medals in B.A. Honours and M.A. examinations of Rabindra Bharat University, Calcutta.

The brilliance of Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty lies in his own distinctive blend of styles, his creativity and a magical voice capable of expressing every emotion. He is adept at singing a wide variety of styles, right from Dhrupad, Khayal (meaning imagination), Thumri, Bhajan to a variety of Bengali and Hindi numbers including old and modern songs, folk songs, allowing an exquisite expression of emotion and improvisation, a tradition he has significantly re-enkindled. His listeners are therefore spoilt with the great expectations that Panditji must always bring something fresh and remarkable into each of his recitals, considering the value of the tradition stretching back thousands of years. Numerous albums, records, and CD’s of his classical and light classical songs have been published in India and abroad that endear Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty even to those listeners who do not even know the language of the lyrics.

Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty is the founder of the musical institution SHRUTINANDAN which is a one-of-its-kind learning centre for students of Indian Classical music. Learning at Shrutinandan is based on a scientific training system evolved by Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty.