THE ART OF SINGING IN THE HINDUSTANI MUSIC TRADITION
October 20 to 24, 2025
Aubagne
INTRODUCTION
Come discover this great tradition through its unique vocal approach in the Khayal style, featuring the beauty of poetic texts, ornamentation full of melismas, and rhythmic play adapted to the voice.
CONTEXT
For this unprecedented introductory workshop, the IIMM and Henri Tournier invite Madhubanti Sarkar, a specialist in Khayal singing, to share with singers and instrumentalists from all backgrounds the art of phrasing and improvisation linked to her repertoire.
MASTERCLASS CONTENT
– Hindustani music – North India / Carnatic music – South India
– Main genres of North Indian classical music: Khayal, Dhrupad (classical); Thumri, Dadra, Kajari, Ghazal, Tappa, Bhajan (semi-classical)
– Notion of Raga – the melodic universe, and Tala – the rhythmic universe
– The 10 Thāt – the system used to classify Ragas
– The Tanpura – the drone instrument emblematic of Indian music, serving as a vital reference point for subtle pitch awareness
– Learning vocal techniques specific to Indian music
– Practice of Alankar – training exercises; practice of simple sung exercises in Sargam, the note system (Svara) of this tradition
– Various types of ornamentation: Mind, Andolan, Gamak, Khatka, Murki, etc.
– The unique system of musical notation in Hindustani music
– Oral tradition teaching – learning the fixed elaboration structure of an Alap (prelude)
– How to improvise within this prelude
– Introduction to Talas (rhythmic cycles) and their Thekas (characteristic rhythmic phrases)
– Learning a Bandish (composition) within an appropriate Tala
– Exploration of the various poetic texts set to music in this context
– Different aspects and techniques of improvisation development
– Structuring a musical discourse in Khayal
PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS
– Minimum age: 15 years
– Open to singers and instrumentalists
– Minimum level: Advanced amateur
SCHEDULE:
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM & 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
REGISTER NOW
>> ON-LINE REGISTRATION <<
>> RATES AND REGISTRATION PROCEDURE <<
BIOGRAPHIES
Madhubanti SARKAR
Born into a family of musicians in Kolkata (India), Madhubanti Sarkar was introduced to North Indian classical music (Hindustani style) from an early age by her father, Goutam Kumar Sarkar, a Khayal/Thumri singer and disciple of the great master Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh. A graduate of Sangeet Visharadh Upadhi, she trained in Khayal with Santanu Bandyopadhyay (renowned master of the Vishnupur Gharana) and in semi-classical styles with Dalia Rahut, a respected representative of the Benares Gharana.
Thanks to her rich and diverse musical education, Madhubanti masters both the classical Khayal genre and several semi-classical forms such as Thumri, Dadra, Chaiti, Kajari, and Bhajan.
Now based in the Lyon region, she has toured in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Morocco. She regularly offers private lessons and has led Indian classical music workshops at venues such as the Cité de la Musique in Marseille (as part of the Mehfil Festival) and the Lyon Auditorium.
Her debut album was released in Kolkata by the renowned music label Bihaan Music in 2016. She also contributed to the following albums:
– Voyages et rencontres en Inde ([Muret]: Association internationale Enfance et découvertes, 2006)
– La musique indienne: la danse du démon (Gallimard, 2010)
Henri TOURNIER
Bansuri, flutes, octobass flute
One of the leading Western specialists of the bansuri (North Indian bamboo flute), Henri Tournier is among those musicians deeply fascinated by Indian music who, through a long and committed journey, have become passionate ambassadors of its tradition. For decades, he has explored the full range of the bansuri’s expressive potential, within the framework of North Indian classical music as well as in world music and contemporary Western music.
Initially trained by legendary Western classical flutist Roger Bourdin, who passed on to him a love for improvisation, it was this passion that led him to study under Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. Henri became his assistant and later served for over 27 years as a guest professor at the Rotterdam Conservatory (Codarts).
Henri Tournier has developed his own voice as an improviser and composer, blending the sensibilities of the bansuri with those of the Western concert flute. He is a prolific performer and recording artist on the international stage, continuously engaging in diverse musical collaborations. From 2016 to 2022, he taught Modal Improvisation and Indian Music at the Paris National Conservatory of Music (CNSMDP). As a dedicated soloist and educator, his artistic path is shaped by a deep commitment to transmission and shared experience.
He is the author of the reference work Hariprasad Chaurasia & the Art of Improvisation (book + 2 CDs), published by Accords Croisés/Rotterdam-Codarts.