"Welcome to the Web Page of Dr. Gagandeep Hothi"

Born in a music loving family on 23 August 1985, Gagandeep started his initial training in sitar, at the age of 4, from his father Mr. R.K. Singh who is himself a sitar player and the disciple of world-renowned sitarist "Padma Bhushan Pt. Budhaditya Mukherjee" and his father "Acharya Pt. Bimalendu Mukherjee", a doyen of the "Imdadkhani Gharana" of Sitar. Soon Gagandeep was also fortunate enough to be a disciple of "Acharya Pt. Bimalendu Mukherjee" & "Padma Bhushan Pt. Budhaditya Mukherjee." Hence Gagandeep was brought up in a musical environment right from the very beginning.

At the age of 10, Gagandeep was awarded the prestigious National Scholarship by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, for "Sitarwadan".

At the age of 10, Gagandeep impressed the invited audience at a concert organized by A.I.R, Shimla. This concert was broadcasted later on.

Gagandeep stood first for three consecutive years in the competition organized by the prestigious "Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan" held in Jalandhar (India). At the age of 10 and 11 Gagandeep won the first prize in the junior section in this very competition.

At the age of 12, he created history by coming first in the Senior Section, which comprised of an age group between 16 to 35 years. The winner of the Senior Group is invited for the next year as an artist to perform along with other High Grade artists. Here too Gagandeep won the applaud and appreciation of the audience. Thereafter he displayed his skills at various other places and sought the blessings of eminent musicians and connoisseurs.

Reviewing his sitar recital in a Classical Music Concert held on the 31st October, 1999 by the "Sur Laya Manch" (Jalandhar City), the Jalandhar Newsline on November 5, 1999 writes:

"13-yr - Old Sitarist Impresses At Musical Show". . . . .Gagandeep, a budding sitarist from Shimla, impressed the audience with the mature movement of his small fingers over the strings of his sitar. He played Raag Yaman with vilambit gat and drut gat in teen taal. The beautiful use of gamaks, murkis and the full blooming of ni re ga phrase spoke of his rigorous riyaaz.

Gagandeep has performed & displayed his skills as a “Resource Person” in various Refresher Courses/Lecture Demonstrations etc organized by Universities all over the country in front of eminent Academicians & Music lecturers. He gave various successful performances at Ahmedabad, Almora, Ambala, Aurangabad, Batala, Bikaner, Bilaspur, Chandigarh, Delhi, Dharamshala, Goa, Haldwani, Haripur, Jalandhar, Jammu, Kalka, Kalyan, Karsog, Katra(J&K), Kolkata, Kullu, Kurukshetra, Ludhiana, Mandi, Mumbai, Nabha, Nadoun, Nainital, Patiala, Pune, Shimla, Solan Sundernagar & Yamunanagar etc.

The major musical events in which Gagandeep has performed are:

 1. Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan - Jalandhar
 2. Sangeet Pratibha (Sangeet Natak Academy) - Patiala
 3. Bharitya Samskriti Samsad - Kolkata
 4. Sur Laya Manch - Jalandhar
 5. Swar Sadhna Samiti - Mumbai
 6. Gurmat Sangeet Sammelan - Batala (Punjab)
 7. Sangeetanjali - Ambala
 8. Basant Utsav - Nadaun (H.P.)
 9. Shyam Sangeet Sammelan - Kullu (H.P.)
10. Saptak (Sangeet Sankalp Saptah 2004) - Ahmedabad
11. Shashtriya Sangeet Samaroh - Kurukshetra
12. Malhaar Utsav - Jalandhar
13. Sangeet Sankalp Mahaotsav 2007 - Pune
14. Sangeet Sankalp Mahaotsav 2008 - Kalyan (Mumbai)
15. Pt. Vasantrao Acharekar Sanskritik Pratishthan - Kankavli (Goa)
16. Jas Vitaan (Guru Pranaam Sangeet Sammelan) "Sankalp" 2009 - Bikaner (Rajisthan)
17. Sangeet Sankalp Mahaotsav 2010 - Jalandhar
18. Vishnu Digambar Jayanti 2011 - Sundernagar
19. Sangeet Sankalp Mahaotsav 2011 - Aurangabad
20. SwarGanga Music Festival 2011 - Mumbai
21. Sunaad - Punjabi University 2011 - Patiala
22. Sangeet Sankalp Mahaotsav 2012 - Mumbai
23. Winter Carnival 2015 - Nainital
24. Sangeet Sankalp Mahaotsav 2016 - India Habitat Center, New Delhi
25. Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University 2016 - Katra, Jammu & Kashmir
26. Saptak (21st Sangeet Sankalp Saptah 2016) - Ahmedabad

Gagandeep has also performed, for three consecutive years in the highly esteemed "Summer Festival" of Shimla.  

For five consecutive years (i.e. 2003,04,05,06 & 07), Gagandeep has won the first prize in the H.P. University Youth Festival.

He is also amongst the winners of "All India Radio Competition, year 2003."

On September 07, 2009; Gagandeep was conferred with the “Kshitij Kala Sammaan” by “Smt. Prabha Rau”, “Honorable Governor of Himachal Pradesh.”  

On March 15, 2016; Gagandeep was conferred the “Yuva Pratibha Sammaan – 2015” by “Mohan Upreti Lok Sanskriti Kala Evam Vigyaan Shodh Samiti, Almora, Uttarakhand” for his contribution in the field of “Indian Classical Music – Sitar.”  

On September 2, 2018; Gagandeep was felicitated with the “Rangotsav Award” for his musical contribution in the promotion of Indian Art & Culture.  

Currently Gagandeep is an "A-Grade" artist of "All India Radio" (A.I.R.) & "Doordarshan".

From “November 2010” to “January 2011” Gagandeep toured the United Kingdom (U.K.) and played various successful concerts and conducted Workshops at Southall, Slough (Berkshire), Ilford, Woolwich & East Ham (Greater London) etc."

Gagandeep has also excelled academically and secured Gold Medals in Graduation, Post Graduation and M.Phil from the Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla.

In June 2009, Gagandeep qualified the UGC-NET (National Eligibility Test) & JRF (Junior Research Fellowship) examination. Gagandeep completed his Ph.D. from Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla in the year 2015. Presently Gagandeep is working as an Assistant Professor (Instrumental Music - Sitar) in the Department of Music, D.S.B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital & is also providing his additional Administrative Duties as "Assistant Controller Examination, Kumaun University, Nainital.

Presently Gagandeep is continuing to learn music from "Padma Bhushan Pt. Budhaditya Mukherjee", the doyen of the “Imdadkhani Gharana” of Sitar.   

Address : Home (Shimla)

Dr. Gagandeep Hothi

Sur Sameer

Near Floriculture

Nav Bahar

Shimla - 171002

Himachal Pradesh

Address : Home (Nainital)

Dr. Gagandeep Hothi

Cheena House

First Floor

Near Shervani Hilltop

Mallital

Nainital - 263002

Uttarakhand

Address : Office (Nainital)

Dr. Gagandeep Hothi

Assistant Professor

Department of Music (Instrumental)

D.S.B. Campus

Kumaun University

Nainital - 263002

Uttarakhand

Phone (Shimla): +91 94181-85729 (M) , 0177-2841775 (R)

Phone (Nainital): +91 94128-40085 (M)

E-Mail : gaganhothi@gmail.com

Web Site : https://www.angelfire.com/blog2/gaganhothi/