Biography
Kashish Mittal is a gifted and accomplished Hindustani Classical Vocalist, representing the illustrious Agra Gharana style of music. He has been recognized as an ‘A Grade’ artiste by the All India Radio & Doordarshan and an 'Established artiste’ by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Government of India. Kashish is considered as one of the very promising young artistes of Agra Gharana and has carved a special place for himself in the Indian classical musical scene. He is also a former IAS officer and Computer Science graduate from IIT Delhi.
Born in Jalandhar in 1989 to IPS officer Jagdish Kumar and Sangeeta Mittal, Kashish was initiated into Hindustani Classical Music at the age of eight years under Prof. Harvinder Singh, along with his younger brother Lavish. Kashish gave his first performance at the age of eleven at the Harivallabh Sangeet Sammellan in Punjab.
Kashish subsequently moved under the tutelage of Pandit Yashpaul, maestro of the Agra Gharana, as per the Guru Shishya Parampara. He underwent rigorous training under Pt. Yashpaul, and learnt the fine nuances of Khayal gayaki in the Agra Gharana style of singing.
In his growing years, Kashish was inspired by the power of music on people's lives and also the impact of public service. Taking inspiration from his father, a mathematician and decorated police officer, Kashish completed his B.Tech in Computer Science from the prestigious IIT Delhi and joined the coveted Indian Administrative Service (IAS) at the age of 21.
However, his passion for Hindustani classical music made him pursue the performing art all along his academic years at IIT and during his tenure in the IAS. After serving in government for nine years, Kashish took a call to leave the coveted civil service to pursue his passion for Hindustani classical music.
Kashish’s performances have evoked appreciation and applause from listeners and critics alike. Today, he serves as an inspiration for the younger generation of musicians with his achievements both on and off stage. Kashish continues to enchant audiences with his soulful performances, musical genius and charismatic stage presence.
In his renditions, Kashish exhibits a soulful and rich voice to build the traditional nom-tom alap. He elaborates the vilambit khayals with an intricate rhythmic play of laykari, bol-bant and bol-taan, characteristic of the Agra Gharana. He also displays exceptional expertise in the use of sargams and taans to decorate the fast compositions and taranas.
Kashish’s music is influenced by and finds its roots in the rich musical heritage of the distinguished Agra Gharana. In addition to his Guru Pt. Yashpaul, Kashish has been deeply inspired by the stalwarts of Agra Gharana such as Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan, Ustad Sharafat Hussain Khan, Ustad Latafat Hussain Khan and others.
Apart from being a regular performer at the All India Radio & Doordarshan, Kashish has performed at numerous concerts all over the country, including prestigious music festivals such as the Tansen Samaroh (Gwalior), Jashn-e-Rekhta (Delhi), Raag Amir Festival (Indore), Harivallabh Sangeet Samellan (Jalandhar), Taj Mahotsav (Agra), World Sahaja Yoga Festival (Ganpatipule, Maharashtra) and concert series by Sangeet Natak Akademi and SPIC MACAY.
Kashish has been conferred with numerous awards & honours including the Punjab State Award for Art & Culture by Hon’ble Chief Minister Punjab (2007), Saraswati Samman by IIT Delhi (2010), Naad Shri Samman for significant contribution to Hindustani Classical Music (2018), among others.
Even as a student, he bagged several National Scholarships in music and academics, such as the Centre for Cultural Resources & Training (CCRT), National Talent Search Examination (NTSE), and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Scholarships. Before joining IIT, Kashish became the only student in the country to clear Indian National Olympiads in Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics, and was awarded Gold Medal in National Physics Olympiad by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Mumbai.
As part of his career in the IAS, Kashish held various administrative positions including Additional Deputy Commissioner Chandigarh, Deputy Commissioner Tawang, and in the office of Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, Government of India.
Kashish’s journey has throughout exemplified excellence in pursuing one’s academics, profession and passion. His love and belief in the power of music has enabled him to pursue his dream of carrying forward the rich musical legacy, despite a challenging academic and professional life. It is this message of passionately following one’s dreams that he wishes to convey through his music.
