Pandit Tulsidas Borkar
Felicitation program of Sangeet Kala Academy award
Acclaimed as a performer per excellence, brilliant composer and revered Guru,
Pandit Tulsidas Borkar is one of the most outstanding musicians of India. A leading name in the field of Harmonium playing. Tulsidasji had his initial
lessons in Music from his mother Jaishreebai Borkar, Later he started learning the Harmonium from "Vishnupant Vashta" and at the same time had the opportunity of beging guided by hoto Gandhrvi, the eminent vocalist, on the art of Harmonium accompaniment. However a major part of his training in Harmonium was between 1957 and 1967 under the guidance of the harmonium maestro Pt. Madhukar Pednekar, better known as P.Madhukar'.
In his endeavor to acquire knowledge he had the opportunity of receiving valuable guidance from some veteran vocalist like Pt.S.C.R.Bhatt, Pt.K.G.Ginde, Pt.Rajaram Shukla, Pt. Murli Manohar Shukla, Pt.Ram Marathe, and instrumentalists like Pt.Devendra Murdeshwar(Flute) and Pt. A.P.Pathak(Violine) from whom he got to learn the intricacies of the Khayal tradition of North Indian (Hindustani) Classical Music.
Tulsidas Borkar gained initial fame as an Organ player in Marathi theatrical music. He accompanied several leading actor-singers of Marathi theatre between the years 1950 and 1980. He also had the privileage of accompanying many stalwarts in the field of Hindustani Classical Music like Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur,Pandit Firoj Dastur, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Basawraj Rajguru, Pandit Y.B.Joshi, Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, Pandit Ram Marathe, Pandita Gangubai Hangal, Pandita kishori Amonkar, Pandita Shobha Gurtu and Dr.Prabha Aatre to name a few.
A part from being a reputed harmonium accompanist, Tulsidas Borkar has also been acclaimed as a great soloist and has been commercially recorded by many reputed Record Labels all over the world. Tulsidasji has participated in most of the prestigious music festivals in the country and toured extensively for concerts in U.K., Europe, Indonesia, U.S.A., and Arebian Gulf countries.
As a music composer, he has composed music for theatrical productions like "Sangeet Pandharpur", "Bakul Phula" and various other musical productions. The many disciples whom he has groomed as renowned performans and composers of today, proves his invaluable contribution as a Guru. Borkarji's noble mission of imparting his knowledge has led him to authoring a book on the art of playing the harmonium titled 'Samvadini Sadhana' which has been published in Hindi and Marathi. He has also been instrumental in designing a syllabus for Harmonium students which has been accepted and recognized by the Pune Unversity (Lalit kala Kendra) and University of Kolhapur (Shivaji Vidyapeeth)
He has also designed a new model modifying the physical structre of the Harmonium by raising the lavel of the Keybord. which was craftd and manufactured by Dashrath Bengude. He has extensively recerched in learns of improving the tonal quality, tuning and other tecnical aspects of the Harmonium thereby giving different visul and sound dimensions to the instrumrnt.
For his dedicated contrubution in the field of Indian Music, he has been honoured with the prestigious sangeet Natak Academi Award, New Delhi (For the year 2005) at the hands of the Pesident of India Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam.
Other honours bestowed on him, include:
- State Reward for Excellence from the Directorate of Art & Culture, Govt. Of Goa (18-08-2007)
- Smt. Indirabai Khadilkar Puraskar (2006) by Bharat Gayan Samaj (Pune)
- Pandit Bandubhaya Chaugule Smruti Puraskar, Indore (2004)
- Pandit Vitthalrao Koregaonkar Smruti Puraskar by Surel Samvadini Samvardhan- Belgaum (2002)
- ITC Sangeet Research Academy Award (2001)
- Master Dinanath Mangeshkar Smurti Gungaurav Puraskar (2000) from Yojana Pratishthan & Nirgudkar Foundation.
- Samrat Sanman from Samrat Club international Gos
- Balgandharva Gaurav Puraskar from Akhil Bhartiya Natya Parishad sponsord by Shrimant Madhavrao Maharaj Shinde (1999)
- Govindrao Tembe Sangatkar Puraskar (19-01-1998) from Akhil Bhartiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya.
- Sangeetkar Padmshree Vasant Desai Puraskar from Marathi Natya Parishad.
- Natvarya Keshavrao Date Pursakar (1995)
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