Happy New Year 2025

Come join us for our first event of 2025. We are honored to present Pt Parameshwar Hegde, accompanied by Amod Dandawate on Tabla and Ameya Velingker on the harmonium.

About the Artists

Pt Parameshwar Hegde

Born in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, where the colorful Yakshagana opera holds sway, Parameshwar Hegde was drawn into music at a very young age. He started learning Hindustani music when he was barely ten. Very soon, under the guidance of Sri.S.M.Bhat and Sri Pt.Chandrashekar Puranika Math, his interest in music grew into a passion.

It was in 1976 that Parameshwar Hegde went to Dharwad to seek advanced training under Pt. Basavaraj Rajguru. The maestro took an immense liking for the young vocalist. Over a decade and a half, he lovingly taught Parameshwar Hegde the best compositions from his amazingly vast repertoire.

An 'A' grade artist on All India Radio, Parameshwar Hegde has been featured in several national broadcasts. He has appeared on television also & is much sought after as a concert artiste. Now a resident of Bangalore, he is an attraction at prestigious music festivals all over India and has also traveled on concert tours to the U.S.A, Canada, United Kingdom, and the Gulf countries.

Amod Dandawate

Amod Dandawate is a dedicated tabla artist specializing in the Farrukhabad style. His musical journey began with early exposure to tabla through his father, Late Dr. Vasantrao Dandawate, and after completing his engineering degree, he pursued the art form through other acclaimed teachers. He has been under the tutelage of Pt. Samir Chatterjee for over a decade, receiving intensive training in the guru-shishya tradition. Amod is a sought-after accompanist, having supported numerous major artists from India and the US. He is also actively involved in teaching and promoting Indian classical music in the tri-state area, and now Bay area. Apart from his musical achievements, Amod also holds a doctorate in Electrical Engineering.

Ameya Velingker

Ameya Velingker was initiated into Hindustani classical music from a young age by his father, Shri. Avinash Velingker. He has trained in harmonium since the age of 4 and has also received training from Shri. Rohit Mujumdar. He is currently undergoing vocal training under the tutelage of Dr. Pravin Gaonkar. Ameya also has a Ph.D. in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University.

About Sangeethaamsha

A small group of volunteers started Sangeethaamsha during the pandemic and raised money for artists in India to hold virtual Zoom concerts for small audiences in the US. Encouraged by feedback from the local community, we formally incorporated Sangeethaamsha as a California 501(c)(3) non-profit in 2022.

Our goal is to nurture, teach, produce, or provide access to a variety of arts experiences encompassing the visual, media, or performing arts, with particular intent to promote the rich heritage of Classical Hindustani music to the young members of the community as well as the mainstream population in the U.S. Founded and operated by a group of volunteers from Silicon Valley, CA and the greater San Francisco area,

Our performances are typically organized in the “Baithak” style, providing an intimate experience exchange between the artist and the audience.
This style elevates appreciation of the music, accelerates learning, and importantly, helps interpret artist’s musical expression.

We also hold free workshops, and invite visiting guest artists, teachers, and artists to perform in great venues.

Hindustani classical vocal concert with Pt Parameshwar Hegde

Private concert featuring Pt Parameshwar Hegde, Amod Dandawate, and Ameya Velingker