Indian Musicological Society

Indian Musicological Society
Name	Indian Musicological Society
Formation	1949
Headquarters	New Delhi
Founder	B. R. Deodhar
Type	Learned society
Region	India
Language	English, Hindi

Indian Musicological Society

The Indian Musicological Society is a learned society established in 1949 devoted to the scholarly study and promotion of Hindustani classical music, Carnatic music, Indian musicology, and related traditions. It functions as a nexus for researchers, performers, and institutions such as the Sangeet Natak Akademi, All India Radio, Banaras Hindu University, and University of Madras to exchange research, preserve manuscripts, and foster interdisciplinary dialogue among scholars linked to Bharata Muni, Sarngadeva, Purandara Dasa, and other historical figures. The Society has influenced curricula at universities including Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Calcutta, University of Mumbai, and shaped policy debates with cultural bodies like the National Centre for the Performing Arts and the Ministry of Culture (India).

History

The Society was founded in post-independence India by scholars and practitioners responding to efforts by figures such as B. R. Deodhar, V. Raghavan, and S. N. Ratanjankar. Early meetings involved collaboration with institutions like Banaras Hindu University, Bhatkhande Music Institute, and Mysore University, and drew upon archives linked to collections at the Oriental Research Institute Mysore and the Sarasvati Mahal Library. Through the 1950s and 1960s the Society engaged with research trends influenced by publications of P. Sambamurthy, A. D. Ranade, and S. C. Karnick, and organized symposia alongside events hosted by the Sangeet Research Academy and Indian Council for Cultural Relations. During the 1970s and 1980s, collaborations expanded to include comparative inquiries referencing Western classical music ensembles, ethnomusicology circles at SOAS, and archives such as the British Library and the Smithsonian Institution. Recent decades saw digitization projects in partnership with the National Archives of India and exchange with universities like University of Chicago, SOAS University of London, and Harvard University.

Objectives and Activities

The Society’s objectives include documentation of repertoires associated with Tansen, Tyagaraja, Bhimsen Joshi, MS Subbulakshmi, and folk traditions from regions like Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Kerala. It coordinates comparative research on treatises such as Natya Shastra, Sangita Ratnakara, and manuscripts attributed to Sharngadeva. Core activities involve archival conservation at repositories like the National Gallery of Modern Art and curation of audio collections for broadcasters including All India Radio and archives like the Archive of Indian Music. The Society promotes pedagogy that links conservatories like Bhatkhande Music Institute and Ali Akbar College of Music with university departments at University of Delhi and University of Mysore and facilitates internships with the Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Publications

The Society publishes a peer-reviewed journal that features articles on theory, history, performance practice, and analysis, drawing on scholarship related to composers and theorists such as Purandara Dasa, Kshetrayya, Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, and Ravindra Jain. Monographs and critical editions produced by the Society address topics from notation systems like Bhatkhande notation to regional repertoires including Baul songs, Dhrupad, Khayal, and Carnatic kriti. It has issued festschrifts honoring scholars like S. N. Ratanjankar, V. Raghavan, and P. Sambamurthy, and cooperated with publishers including Motilal Banarsidass and academic presses at Oxford University Press and Routledge for wider dissemination.

Conferences and Seminars

Regular national conferences attract delegates representing conservatories and universities such as Bhatkhande Music Institute, Madras Music Academy, Banaras Hindu University, and international guests from SOAS University of London, University of California, Los Angeles, and University of Chicago. Thematic seminars have addressed subjects ranging from Natya Shastra exegesis, the music of Tansen, and the transmission of Dhrupad lineages, to cross-cultural studies involving Persian music, Central Asian music, and Western art music. Workshops and masterclasses have featured practitioners including Pandit Jasraj, Kumar Gandharva, L. Subramaniam, and scholars from institutions like the Sangeet Research Academy.

Membership and Organization

Membership includes researchers, performers, and institutional representatives from bodies such as Sangeet Natak Akademi, All India Radio, Bhatkhande Music Institute', Madras Music Academy', Banaras Hindu University', and international affiliates from SOAS and University of Chicago. The Society’s executive committees have historically included eminent musicologists and performers like B. R. Deodhar, V. Raghavan, S. N. Ratanjankar, and later figures associated with Sangeet Research Academy and university music departments. Governance involves elected office-bearers and editorial boards that liaise with funding agencies such as the Indian Council of Historical Research and cultural ministries.

Awards and Recognitions

The Society confers honors and publishes citation volumes recognizing contributions by composers, performers, and scholars including recipients comparable to honorees of Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awardees such as MS Subbulakshmi, Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, Bismillah Khan, and Zakir Hussain. It also grants research fellowships and travel grants enabling scholars to consult collections at the British Library, Smithsonian Institution, and archives at Banaras Hindu University and Oriental Research Institute Mysore.

Category:Music organisations based in India Category:Musicology