Dhrupad Vocal Workshop June 2026
Dhrupad Vocal Workshop
Experience an immersive 4 day vocal workshop with Prassanna Vishwanathan, singer, performer and teacher of the oldest living singing tradition of Indian Raga music, the Dhrupad style. Prassanna introduces participants to the bliss, depth and serenity of Dhrupad through AUM: Awaken, Understand, Merge.
Prassanna brings to life the timeless art of Dhrupad, blending devotion and musical depth. A senior disciple of Pandit Uday Bhawalkar, he is deeply rooted in the Dhrupad Music tradition. Prassanna has been serving this divine form of music by performing and conducting workshops all over the world.
Set in a retreat-style format, each day flows in the traditional rhythm of Dhrupad-style learning. Immersive vocal sessions are interspersed with time for rest and reflection. Evenings are shared in community, exchanging insights, and deepening the Dhrupad connection.
No experience necessary.
Full day workshops.
Please bring sufficient food along with you for the day. There is a small kitchen available where you can make tea. Restaurants and bakeries are also walkable from the venue (possible closures due to the holiday on June 4th). We may venture outside during the day, so please bring appropriate clothing and footwear.
Workshop Schedule:
Thursday June 4th: 11:30 - 4:30
Friday June 5th: 10:00 - 4:00
Saturday June 6th: 10:00 - 4:00
Sunday June 7th: 10:00 - 4:00
Pricelist:
300 Euro per person
Daily rate 80 Euro
Registration & information:
sarah@raniandreine.com
+49 176 24668999
Last minute registration may be possible throughout the workshop weekend if there are spots still available. Please contact Sarah to join.
Location:
Forum an der Blaulach
Henriettenweg 2
72072 Tübingen im franz. Viertel
Vishwanathan's music flows from meditative sound and silence. From India to concert halls
across Europe, he carries the timeless essence of Dhrupad worldwide. A senior disciple of Pt.
Uday Bhawalkar, he trained in the Guru–Shishya Paramparā, the ancient lineage binding teacher
and disciple through sound and spirit. A devoted teacher himself, he guides students across India
and Europe into a discipline where breath becomes melody and sound turns transformative.
Shri Sukhad Munde
Pakhawaj: Ancient Indian Drum
Among the foremost Pakhawaj exponents today, Sukhad Munde upholds one of North India's
most ancient rhythmic traditions. Trained under his father and Guru, Pt. Manik Munde, he has
performed widely across India and abroad, both as soloist and accompanist to leading Rāga musicians. He is a respected teacher to many disciples worldwide.
There are two highly improvisational components of Dhrupad – Alāp and Bandish. Alāp explores the Rāga with syllables in three varying tempos— ālāp, jod, and jhālā. These syllables trace their origins to ancient chants invoking various deities, linking musical sound to sacred expression. The compositions explore the Rāga where melodic improvisation of the composition's lyrics unfolds in the form of Upaj. The structural completeness established the principle of thematic and emotional development of Dhrupad later influenced khayāl and other forms of Rāga music. Thus, Dhrupad is not only an ancient art but the primal source through which the spirit of Rāga first found expression.
Raja Man Singh Tomar (1486–1516), the ruler of Gwalior, was a great patron of Dhrupad and gathered legendary musicians at his court. In the 16th century, Bhakti saint Swami Haridas, a renowned Dhrupad singer, carried the tradition forward; among his disciples was the celebrated Tansen. The Mughal emperor Akbar further elevated the form's stature through his patronage, with Tansen, his court musician, becoming the enduring symbol of Dhrupad's refinement and grandeur. In the 20th century, the Dagar lineage, tracing its ancestry over twenty generations, became instrumental in the revival and evolution of Dhrupad, preserving its meditative essence while bringing it to audiences around the world. In the 21st century, maestros like Pandit Uday Bhawalkar have revitalised and sustained this tradition through performances and nurturing a generation of students devoted to the art of Dhrupad.
Drawn to the music? Join us for a live Dhrupad concert with Prassanna Vishwanathan in Tübingen. Private and group lessons are also available throughout the year.
Explore the Dhrupad Vocal Concert →
Rani & Reine works directly with traditional artisans and performers across India to help preserve living craft and art forms. The textiles we carry are made by the same hands and communities whose traditions we celebrate through our events.