Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi (UPSNA) continued the second phase of its prestigious State-Level Music Competition at the Sant Gadge Ji Auditorium, drawing exceptional performances from promising young classical vocalists across the state. The competition, scheduled from December 8 to 11, entered a vibrant day of contests on Tuesday, featuring categories such as Khayal, Tarana, Dhrupad, Dhamar, Thumri and Dadra in the junior division. The youth category will follow on Wednesday, December 10.
Top Performers in Junior Categories
The day brought forward a rich display of classical prowess:
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Khayal–Tarana (Junior):
1st: Jayantika De (Varanasi)
2nd: Anushant Mishra (Gorakhpur)
3rd: Dhara Khare (Ghaziabad) -
Thumri–Dadra (Junior):
1st: Priyakshi Pandey (Kanpur)
2nd: Jayantika De (Varanasi)
3rd: Anusha Trivedi (Bareilly) -
Dhrupad–Dhamar (Junior):
1st: Vatsala Bajpai (Atarra)
2nd: Vaishnavi Tiwari (Banda)
3rd: Jahnvi Mishra (Varanasi)
Guidance and Jury Presence
The competition took place under the guidance of Prof. Jayant Khot, Chairman of the Akademi, Vibha Singh, Vice Chairperson, and Dr Shobhit Kumar Nahar, Director. Renowned judges Romil Jain (Khandwa), Nabanita Choudhary (Greater Noida) and Pandit Radha Govind Das (Delhi) evaluated the performances. The event was coordinated by Renu Srivastava and Dr Pawan Tiwari, with Rajendra Vishwakarma Harihar anchoring the stage proceedings.
A Day of Remarkable Renditions
The competitions commenced with Kuly Bhardwaj from Kanpur, who presented “Bina Hari Kaun” in Raag Bhairav, showcasing maturity beyond his years. Visually impaired and a winner in the 2023 Thumri (Junior) category, Kuly has been training under Dr Sushma Bajpai for eight years and has consistently excelled in Khayal, Bhajan, Ghazal, Thumri and Synthesizer contests.
Bareilly’s Anusha Trivedi impressed with “Jai Jai Jai Durge Mata Bhavani” in Raag Durga, reaffirming her rising potential after securing second place in the 2024 Khayal contest.
The stage witnessed a series of compelling recitals:
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Dhara Khare (Ghaziabad) explored the depth of Raag Chandrakauns with “Chaandni Raat Aayi”.
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Darshit Raj Soni (Agra) brought nuance to Raag Adana with “Mitwa Mora Sajna”.
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Arna Dewaskar (Lucknow) rendered “Sumiran Karo” in Pooriya Dhanashree.
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Jayantika De (Varanasi) delivered a crisp Khayal in Raag Bilaskhani Todi, “Maya Jag Jan”.
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Pragya Gupta (Varanasi) invoked Raag Malkauns with “Jinke Man Ram”.
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Ranvijay Chakraborty (Basti) offered a soulful Malkauns Thumri.
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Anushant Mishra (Gorakhpur) presented “Ja Ja Re Apne Mandirwa” in Raag Bhimpalasi.
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Vishesh Mishra (Saharanpur) captivated audiences with “Payaliya Mori Baje” in Raag Madhuwanti.
In the Thumri–Dadra segment, Hansika Koppisetti (Vindhyachal) showcased command over Raag Mishra Khamaj through “Kaun Gali Gayo Shyam”, while Jayantika De returned with a Gurmat Sangeet rendition in Raag Maajh, “Jagat Beeti Rain”.
The Dhrupad–Dhamar category witnessed standout performances as well.
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Vatsala Bajpai (Atarra) presented an adept Dhrupad composition “Payo Maharaj” in Raag Bageshri, building on her earlier success as second runner-up in the 2018 Khayal Junior category.
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Vaishnavi Tiwari (Banda) sang “Tu Karuna Nidhan” in Raag Bhimpalasi, continuing her strong run after securing second place in the 2023 Dhrupad competition.
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Sakshi Prajapati (Ayodhya) offered “Neelkanth” in Raag Vibhas, while Jahnvi Mishra (Varanasi) impressed with “Mahabali Hanuman” in Raag Malkauns.
Growing Participation Across Uttar Pradesh
UPSNA highlighted that 2024–25 marked the Golden Jubilee year of the regional classical competition, featuring not only classical music but also Ghazal and Bhajan categories. Nearly 900 participants from 18 divisions and 21 centres took part.
This year, the 2025–26 edition expanded further, attracting around 1100 participants from 23 centres across 18 divisions. Encouraged by increasing enthusiasm, the Akademi added two new centres — Lakhimpur and Farrukhabad — to accommodate rising interest.
A Celebration of Uttar Pradesh’s Musical Heritage
The ongoing competition continues to spotlight young talent from the state’s rich classical music tradition, reaffirming UPSNA’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of vocalists across genres. With the youth category set for Wednesday, the stage is poised for another round of exceptional performances as Uttar Pradesh’s musical legacy finds new torchbearers.
