Indira Gandhi Culture Centre, High Commission of India, Dhaka held a musical soiree featuring Hindustani classical vocal performance by Priyanka Gope on December 10 atthe centre in Gulshan-1, Dhaka.

Priyanka is a lecturer at the Music Department, Dhaka University and also Chhayanaut, and is an accomplished exponent of Indian classical vocal music in Bangladesh. Trained under noted maestros Priyanka has completed her Masters of Arts from the Department of Music, Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata. She has won several national and international awards including

Acharya Uday Bhushan Smriti Purashkar from the Rabindra Bharati University, a gold medal from the Prime Minister of Bangladesh etc. Priyanka is enlisted as a 'regular artiste' of Bangladesh Betar (radio) in the 'AGrade'.

At the programme the vocalist started off with a rendition of a khayal in Raga Madhuvanti (madhya laya- jhap taal). She extended on the raga in drut (teen) taal. The bandish, “Maan Bharey Piya”, was in jhap taal. A thumri in Raga Khamaj (jaat taal), “Ab Mora Mano”, was next.

The performance went on for 45 minutes.

“We still have a long way to go in popularising classical music. Talented musicians should be nurtured and highlighted,” she said.