Celebrating over 30 yrs.
preserving and refining
Vocal Arts across the world
Ragas are like the living geometry of sound
“Ragas are soliloquies and meditations, passionate melodies that draw circles and triangles in a mental space, a geometry of sounds that can turn a room into a fountain, a spring, a pool.” – Octavio Paz
The Chant of Dhrupad Immersion
Six Master Classes with Maestro
Pandit Uday Bhawalkar
A Musical Darśan with Maestro Pandit Uday Bhawalkar
Register Now: voxmundi@yahoo.com
Master Classes are offered In-person and onlin. e
Experience an intimate study of Dhrupad, the most ancient form of North Indian classical vocal These classes are offered to newcomers, continuing students, and dedicated practitioners of raga sangeet who wish to deepen voice, sound quality, and deep listening through a regular traditional teacher–student relationship.
The Vox Mundi School and The International Dhrupad Academy are proud to present once more a Musical Darśan with Maestro Pandit Uday Bhawalkar, a rare opportunity to immerse in raga as a path of self‑transformation and irresistible musicality.
The Six Master Classes will cover:
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Raga Sangeet – the aural architecture and aesthetic emotion of the ragas
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The Chant of Dhrupad – Voice, Tuning, Guru, Pronunciation, Concentration
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Voice as Infinite Sound – breath, resonance, and subtle listening
Schedule (In Person and Online):
Six Master Classes: June 8 –11, 2026
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FOUR Evening Classes: 6:00 – 9:00 PM (PT) June 8, 9, 10, and 11
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TWO Morning Classes: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM – (PT) June 10 and 11
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Location: Vox Mundi Saraswati Room, Emeryville Marina, California, and Zoom (link obtained after registration)
Registration: voxmundi@yahoo.com
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Pre‑registration and R.S.V.P. are required
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Due to limited in-person space, priority is given to those who registered for the Full Series
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The group is intentionally kept small to preserve the continuity and integrity of the raga sangeet transmission and the enchanting space. Inquiries to: voxmundi@yahoo.com
For admission requirements and to reserve your place in advance, contact:
voxmundi@yahoo.com
What You Will Study
The Master Series will cover essential dimensions of raga sangeet and Dhrupad vocal art, including:
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Historical impact of the Dhrupad tradition and the gurushishya parampara, with emphasis on respect for the Guru
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The essential qualities of the Dhrupad sound: voice, sound, syllables, tone modulation, laya, and pronunciation
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Breathing and the subtle space between breath and melodic phrases
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Aakar: sound in time and duration, and the approach (swar laya) to a particular raga
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The traditional Dhrupad unfolding of a raga alaap
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Rhythm cycles (taal)
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Development of a composition (bandish)
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Improvisational melodic lines (upaj)
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Kharaj: foundational practices to expand vocal range and breathing power
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Individual time for questions and answers to deepen your understanding of raga music
Attendees will participate through call and response chanting, guided practice, and attentive listening, with suggested practice between sessions.
Participants enrolled in the Yoga of the Voice Certificate will accrue 10 hours toward the International Certificate.
About Maestro Pandit Uday Bhawalkar
Maestro Pandit Uday Bhawalkar is a brilliant Dhrupad vocalist and one of the leading torchbearers of today’s Dhrupad tradition in India, groomed under Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar and Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar of the ancient Dagar Vani lineage.
Dhrupad is a living and evolving classical music tradition of North India, and Uday‑ji has developed a unique style deeply embedded in raga rasa and bhaav; his rendering of ragas interweaves entranced devotion with creative melodic elaboration, precise intonation, and luminous pronunciation.
Since his debut performance in Bhopal in 1985, he has sung at major festivals and institutions throughout India and internationally, has taught at universities across India, Europe, Japan, and the USA, and became a respected Guru at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy in Kolkata.
He has received prestigious awards, including the Kumar Gandharva Samman (2001), the Raza Foundation Award (2007), and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2021), given by the President of India.
Pandit‑ji often shares that when one is fully immersed in sound and raga, the self disappears and music takes on its own existence – the principle of darśan in Indian philosophy.
Read more about Uday Bhawalkar →
Review article on Uday Bhawalkar →
From Silvia Nakkach
“Throughout my journey as a musician, I had the fantastic privilege to learn and share life with great masters of music from many worlds. I developed a deep appreciation for beauty as a combination of truth, devotion, and substance, and that is what I listen to in each breath of Uday’s sound and melodic imagination. But there is more; Uday‑ji’s unconditional musical generosity has activated my practice and passion for Hindustani music as a path of self‑transformation.” – Silvia Nakkach
