Gopal Chandra Panda

Pandit Gopal Chandra Panda (, ; born 1940) is a Guru of Odissi classical music, vocalist, researcher and composer. A disciple of Singhari Shyamsundar Kar, he has authored several books such as Odissi Raga Ratnabali & Odissi Raga Darpana, and is acclaimed for his efforts to collect & document several traditional Odissi ragas from the hinterlands. Panda served as a lecturer and head of department in the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya for nearly three decades. He has performed in music festivals across the country and is the founder of the Gopal Panda Odissi Academy. In 2011, Panda received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contributions to Odissi music.

Panda started his initial training in Odissi music from his father Nilamani Panda and his elder brother Nandakishore Panda. He continued his training under Guru Damodar Panda and Adiguru Singhari Shyamsundar Kar. He served as a lecturer in the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya from 1972 onwards, and as the head of the Odissi music department from 1984 to 1998. Panda's disciples are among the foremost exponents of Odissi music in the present times, including Guru Ramhari Das, Mitali Chinara and Binod Bihari Panda. His daughters Sangita Panda and Sarita Panda are renowned vocalists.

He has collected and documented traditional compositions in over a hundred Ragas in his published works.

He received a Senior Research Fellowship from the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India for his research on Odissi music.

Annual festival Every year, the academy organises an annual festival showcasing solo & group recitals of traditional Odissi ragas, Odissi dance performances and a comparative recital of a selected Raga by eminent musicians of the three streams of Indian classical music : Odissi, Hindustani & Carnatic. Guru Singhari Samman and Bhagabati Smruti Samman awards are conferred to musicians and musicologists. such as Guru Ramhari Das, Guru Dhaneswar Swain (Odissi Mardala), Guru Sachidananda Das (Odissi Mardala) and of Hindustani & Carnatic music, such as Pt Vidyadhar Vyas, Pt K Vageesh, Sudha Raghunathan have performed in the festival. Among the dancers who have presented in the festival are Kumkum Mohanty, Madhavi Mudgal, Sujata Mahapatra, Meera Das, Ileana Citaristi, Ranjana Gauhar, Aloka Kanungo, Ramli Ibrahim, Durga Charan Mohanty, Leena Mohanty, Niranjan Rout.

Among the ragas elaborated in past editions of the annual festival are Abhiri, Bangala, Basanta, Bichitra Desakhya, Chinta Kamodi, Debakiri, Dhanasri, Goudi, Khambabati, Khanda Kamodi, Krusna Kedara, Madhukiri, Malaba, Mangala Kamodi, Mohana Kedara, Punnagabaradi, Ramakiri, Sindhu Kamodi, Tara. Srjan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award (2009) KAMS Charity Lifetime Achievement Award (2021)