ITC-SRA's call has been to inspire students with an inner sense of mission in music and to foster the creative exploration of this great genre of music through the Guru-Shishya Parampara. Our scholars have been chosen from all over the country after careful screening and they come to the Academy to fulfil the commitment to become a performing musician. Spurred on by a creative fervour, the metamorphosis begins at the feet of the guru as the mystery of a raga unfolds.

As part of the training process, each student is required to perform at the weekly Wednesday Recitals. The recital plays a pivotal role in the training of our scholars as it is aimed at moulding an artist as a performer. After a scholar matures in his or her art and performance skills, he or she is presented to the public through the ITC Sangeet Sammelans.

On completion of their training, our scholars have gone on to win accolades and flourish in their own right. This feature presents our scholars in performance, either while they were in training here or in their present avatar, as accomplished musicians.

Dalia Rahut was one of the first scholars of ITC SRA, joining in 1978. Training initially under Pandit A. Kanan and subsequently under Vidushi Girija Devi from 1978 to 1992, she is a true representative of the Banaras Gharana, excelling in thumri, dadra, tappa, kajri, holi, chaiti, jhula, bhajan and other semi-classical forms. Post SRA, she has devoted her life to the promotion of light classical music through teaching, workshops and vocal recitals in India and abroad. Presently she heads the Indian Music Section of Calcutta School of Music. This is an excerpt from her recent recital at SRA, in February 2012. Accompanying her were Ashoke Mukherjee on tabla, Rupashree Bhattacharya on harmonium, Kamlesh Mishra on sarangi and Avanti Bhattacharya, on tanpura, as vocal support.