Dr. (Mrs.) Vijayshree Sharma, the founder and director of Sangeetshri, is a vocal music prodigy, an accomplished performer, author, and composer. Born in the home of musicians, she developed talent in classical music at a young age. Her earliest performance was at the Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan, the oldest festival of Indian classical music in the world, at the age of ten.
Dr. Vijayshree Sharma's early education began under the supervision of
her father, Dr. Siya Behari Saran, who learned vocal music from Pt.
Shankar Rao Sripad Bodas of Kanpur, and instrumental music from
Sangeetendu Dr. Lal Mani Mishra. Pt. Bodas was one of the leading
disciples of Pt. Vishnu Digambar Paluskar, the founder of the esteemed
Gandharva Mahavidhyalaya.
Dr. Sharma has a doctorate degree in Indian classical music from the
prestigious Banaras Hindu University, India. During her doctoral
research work Dr. Sharma worked under the guidance of Late Dr. Pradeep
Kumar Dixit, who was a disciple of Pt. Omkar Nath Thakur.
Dr. Sharma taught Indian classical music to graduate and post graduate
students at Banasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan, India for several years and
has previously been a language lecturer at the University of Utah.
Dr. Sharma also holds Sangeet Visharad in Hindustani vocal music and
kathak from the Akhil Bhartiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal,
Mumbai. She has authored "Sangeetawali", a book on Hindustani
classical music and has performed and spoken about Indian culture and
arts at national and international events.
Apart from Khayal, Dr. Sharma is an expert vocalist on Tulsi kavya,
especially The Ramacharitmanas. Her use of 'Naradiya Shaili' makes the
rendering unique and appealing. She is thus sought after for her rich
repertoire of devotional style of classical music.
