Aadya Mukherjee, who turns 20 next month, has already made a significant mark in Kolkata’s music circles. She is one of six performers at Aarohi 2026 — A Festival of Rising Stars, to be held in Mumbai on May 20 and 21. “Indian classical music has become deeply intertwined with my identity and emotions, and presenting it on such a platform is incredibly meaningful to me,” says Aadya, who trains on scholarship at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy under Pt. Ajoy Chakraborty and his senior disciple Brajeshwar Mukherjee.

Launched by Pancham Nishad in 2002, Aarohi has long showcased emerging classical talent. This year’s line-up also includes vocalists Abhed Abhisheki, Chaitanya Parab and Swati Tiwari, santoor player Divyansh Srivastava, and flautist Samyak Parashari.

Shashi Vyas, founder of Pancham Nishad and the Grace Foundation, says the festival’s aim is to empower musicians at the right time. “Great musicians are not made on big stages. They are made on the right stage, at the right moment, before an audience that listens with care. That is what Aarohi has aimed to build.”

Over the years, several youngsters introduced at Aarohi have gone on to make a mark in the classical music world., including vocalists Jayateerth Mevundi, Rahul Deshpande and Manjari Asanare Kelkar, sitarists Niladri Kumar and Purbayan Chatterjee, and tabla artiste Ojas Adhiya. It is one of two young-artiste festivals presented by Pancham Nishad and the Grace Foundation. In 2022 the organisers launched Raagdari GenNXT at Mumbai’s Prithvi Theatre, a series where emerging artistes perform in a natural, unamplified setting.

This year’s Aarohi features artistes from several gharanas. Aadya, currently training in the Patiala gayaki at ITC SRA, earlier studied with Devashish Deyat of the Benaras gharana. Abhed Abhisheki comes from an illustrious musical family — he is the grandson of Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki and son of Shounak Abhisheki. After initially training with Aparna Kelkar, the 21-year-old is now learning from his father, practising a blend of Agra and Jaipur styles.

Chaitanya Parab, 22, represents the Kirana gharana. After initial lessons from his mother, Vinaya Parab, he has been training under Jayateerth Mevundi. Swati Tiwari, 29, is primarily schooled in the Gwalior gharana but has also studied the Purab ang of the Benaras style; her gurus include Ramgopal, Ramshankar, Shashwati Mandal and Sunanda Sharma.

Of the instrumentalists, 29-year-old Divyansh Srivastava practices the Sopori Sufiana style on the santoor. He began with vocal training under his father, but a passion for the instrument led him to study with maestro Pt. Bhajan Sopori and later Abhay Rustam Sopori. The youngest in the line-up, 17-year-old Samyak Parashari, trains in the Benarasi style of flute under the renowned Pt. Rajendra Prasanna.

According to Shashi Vyas, Aarohi has given a platform to 138 young musicians to date. Each artiste is selected carefully to ensure they can hold their own on a serious stage, and for many participants the festival marks the real start of their professional journey.