75 musicians who have made us love classical music

Semmangudi Radhakrishna Srinivasa Iyer (July 25, 1908 - October 31, 2003) : The Pitamaha or grand sire of modern Carnatic Music, Semmangudi Radhakrishna Srinivasa Iyer was one-third of what was called the male trinity of Carnatic music of the 20th century (the other two musicians in this trinity were G.N. Balasubramaniam and Madurai Mani Iyer). He was criticised for having a nasal voice, which he improved through practice and rigorous training and went on to become a phenomenon.

Pandit Mallikarjun Bheemaraayappa Mansur (December 31, 1910 – September 12, 1992): Not just music lovers but even music scholars loved the way Pandit Mallikarjun Bheemaraayappa Mansur could render tough compositions. One of the most important aspects of his talent was that he could improvise rare ragas but still maintain the originality of the song. When he was in his 20s, the record label HMV (His Master's Voice) cut a record with him.

Ustad Amir Khan (April 1912 – February 13, 1974): Born into] a family of musicians, Amir Khan was considered to be among the most influential Hindustani classical vocalists. Though he founded the Indore Gharana, his unique gayaki style was a mix of Kirana and Bhendibazaar Gharanas. He blended the spiritual flavour and grandeur of dhrupad with the ornate vividness of khyal. When he was 22, he moved to Bombay for concerts and cut around six 78-rpm records. He sang classical songs for films in ragas and introduced classical music to the masses through films.

Gangubai Hangal (March 5, 1913 – July 21, 2009): Known for her deep powerful voice, Gangubai began her training in Hindustani Classical vocal when she was a teenager. She had to struggle against societal prejudices tog create and maintain her career as a classical vocalist. The deep voiced powerful singer had a long career lasting around 75 years.

Begum Akhtar  (October 7, 1914 – October 30, 1974): An actress and singer, Akhtari Bai Faizabad is considered one of the greatest singers of ghazal, dadra, and thumri genres of Hindustani classical music. At 7 she began training and at 15 she had her first public performance. She regularly performed on AIR. With over 400 songs to her credit, she usually composed her own ghazals and most of her compositions were raag-based.

Ustad Bismillah Khan (March 21, 1916 - August 21, 2006): Born Qamaruddin Khan, Bismillah Khan, has been credited with popularising the reeded woodwind instrument, shehnai. Just like Santoor, this was also considered a folk instrument initially but he elevated it and made it a solo instrument on concert stages. After M.S. Subbulakshmi and Pandit Ravi Shankar, he was the third classical musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna.

M.S. Subbulakshmi (September 16, 1916 – December 11, 2004) : Renowned classical vocalist and actress Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi was the first singer to be presented with India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna. Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sarojini Naidu, Lata Mangeshkar, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Kishori Amonkar were among her fans.

Shamshad Begum (April 14, 1919 - April 23, 2013) : One of the first playback singers in the film music industry, she is touted to have sung around 1,287 songs for Hindi films. In all, she sang over 6,000 songs in Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, and Punjabi, with no formal musical training.

Ustad Alla Rakha Qureshi Khansaheb (April 29,  1919 – February 3, 2000): He introduced classical Indian music to western audiences with his mastery over percussion. A prolific composer and an electric showman, he displayed outstanding technique and tone production and was flawless not just as an accompanist but also as a soloist. He played with renowned Carnatic and Hindustani musicians and aided in bridging the gap between Carnatic music and Hindustani music.

Pandit Ravi Shankar (April 7, 1920 - December 11, 2012) : Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury is known for popularizing the Indian classical instrument Sitar globally. In 1945, he composed 'Saare Jahan Se Accha' and later his collaboration with ‘The Beatles’ introduced a new genre of music known as raga rock. Till 1956 he was the director of the All India Radio and composed pieces that mixed Sitar and other Indian instruments with classical Western instrumentation.

Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi (February 4, 1922 – January 24, 2011): One of the greatest Hindustani classical vocalists, Joshi was the first Indian musician whose concert posters were advertised in New York City. Known for his mastery over rhythm, spontaneity, accuracy of notes, dizzyingly-paced taans, unrivalled breath-control, he was the first Hindustani Vocalist to receive his 1st Platinum Disc IN 1984. Joshi was asked by the then PM, Rajiv Gandhi to compose and sing Mile Sur Mera Tumhara music video in 1988. It is said that he has the largest commercially recorded repertoire in Hindustani vocal.

Pandit Kumar Gandharva (April 8, 1924 - January 12, 1992): Shivaputra Siddharamayya Komkalimath was given the moniker Kumar Gandharva as a child. His first stage appearance was at 10 and by 20 he was applauded by critics and was renowned for his unique vocal style. He battled tuberculosis and came back on stage at 29 but the disease had already damaged one of his lungs permanently. So, he began experimenting with ragas, came up with his own by fusing the already existing ones. But he was criticised by purists because his unconventional take on ragas, thumri, and tarana, as a musicologist, were different from conventional singers.

Pandit Vijay Raghava Rao (November 3, 1925 –  November 30, 2011). : A disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar, Vijay Raghava Rao is a flautist, composer, choreographer, musicologist, poet and fiction writer. He has conceived a number of new ragas and written several compositions in traditional ragas.

Pandit Ram Narayan (December 25, 1927 - ): Known for popularising the bowed instrument sarangi as a solo concert instrument in Hindustani classical music, Pandit Ram Narayan became the first internationally successful sarangi player. As a teenager, he worked as a music teacher and travelling musician. At 22, he moved to Mumbai to work in cinema, and by 29, he had become a concert solo artiste and went on to perform globally.

Ustad Vilayat Khan (August 28, 1928 – March 13, 2004) : Classical sitar player Vilayat Khan, recorded his first 78-RPM disc when he was six. He along with Imdad Khan, Enayat Khan, and Imrat Khan, developed gayaki ang  on the sitar, which was an attempt to mimic the sound of the human voice on the stringed instrument. His last concert was at 75, in the year 2004.

T.N. Krishnan (October 6, 1928 – November 2, 2020) : Carnatic music violinist Trippunithura Narayanaiyer Krishnan was considered to be a  part of the violin-trinity of Carnatic music along with Lalgudi Jayaraman and M.S. Gopalakrishnan. Under the tutelage of his father, he began learning violin. He performed at his first violin concert aged 11. He would play for over three hours at one stretch - the importance he gave to expressional restraint was written about. He travelled extensively all over the globe for musical tours.

Girija Devi (May 8, 1929 - October 24, 2017) : Born in Varanasi, Giirjia Devi began her music lessons at the age of 5. She was almost 20 and already married when she debuted on AIR Allahabad and in her early 20s she had her first concert in Bihar. Her repertoire consisted of semi-classical genres, folk, khyal, tappa. She helped to elevate the status of thumri style of classical singing.

Pandit Jasraj (28 January 1930  – 17 August 2020): With a musical career spanning 75 years, Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj, in his childhood, would do riyaz for almost 14 hours a day and over the years became known as one of the most popular male vocalists of Hindustani classical music. He had a substantial following abroad and had hundreds of students in Atlanta, Tampa, Vancouver, Toronto, New York, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Mumbai and Kerala who would learn all the nuances of the 19th-century vocal style. He was loved for his multi-octave range and soulful voice.

Lalgudi Gopala Iyer Jayaraman (September 17, 1930 – April 22, 2013): Carnatic violinist, vocalist and composer, Lalgudi Gopala Iyer Jayaraman is commonly grouped with MS Gopalakrishnan and TN Krishnan as part of the violin-trinity of Carnatic Music. When he was 12 he began as an accompanying violinist and later went on to become a prominent soloist. He has a long career in the music industry that lasted 70 years.

Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna (July 6, 1930 – November 22, 2016):Classical Carnatic composer, singer, poet, actor and multi-instrumentalist, Dr Balamuralikrishna created ragas with four or three notes and then he’d compose tunes based on those ragas. He has the  rare distinction of composing tunes with 72 Melakarta ragas. He invented talas including Trimukhi, Panchamukhi, Saptamukhi and Navamukhi. He performed in over 25,000 concerts all over the world.

Munawar Ali Khan (August 15, 1930 – October 13, 1989):Younger son of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, and nephew of Ustad Barkat Ali Khan,  Munawar Ali Khan, Hindustani classical and light classical vocalist, created a new raga named Malini Basant and also created many geet, khyal, thumri and ghazal bandishes. He extensively toured across the globe for his performances and had several discs to his credit both in India and abroad.

Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan (March 3, 1931 – January 17, 2021): Hindustani classical musician Ghulam Mustafa Khan’s vocal training began very early in life and he had his first stage performance at 8. Since then he performed globally and did voice overs for more than 70 documentary films made by Films Division, many receiving  international, National Awards. He went on to become a playback singer in Marathi, Hindi and Gujarati films. He was in his late 20s when he became a guru to Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey, Kamal Barot, Waheeda Rehman, Ranu Mukherjee, Geeta Dutt, AR Rahman, Hariharan, Shaan, Sonu Nigam, Alisha Chinoy, Shilpa Rao and others.

Kishori Amonkar (April 10, 1932 to  April 3, 2017): She was considered to be one of the foremost Hindustani Classical singers. Her mother was also a vocalist, and over the years Gaansaraswati Amonkar developed an individual style that  was recognised as a variant of the Jaipur Gharana. She bent the traditions and was known to prioritize emotional appeal or rasa, in her renditions.

Prabha Atre (September 13, 1932 - ):Trained in music in the Guru-shishya tradition, Prabha Atre later went on to earn a Ph.D. in music where her doctoral thesis was titled Sargam. She is known for her contribution in popularising Hindustani classical vocal at a global level.  Adept at styles like Khayal, Thumri, Dadra, Ghazal, geet, Natyasangeet, and bhajans, Prabha Atre has been giving private lessons to students since the last five decades.

Asad Ali Khan (December 1, 1937 –  June 14, 2011): A seventh generation rudra veena player, Asad Khan performs in the dhrupad style. He popularised the Rudra Veena abroad and has also conducted music courses in the United States.

Pandit Shivkumar Sharma (January 13, 1938 – May 10, 2022): Born to vocalist and tabla player Uma Dutt Sharma, Shivkumar Sharma is credited with introducing the Santoor as a popular Indian classical music instrument. He began learning classical vocals and tabla when he was five. At 13, his father introduced him to the Persian instrument santoor that was played in Kashmir and at 17 he had his first public performance. Over the years he bagged many platinum and gold discs for his film and non-film music. His collaboration as music director, with classical musician and flautist Hari Prasad Chaurasia as Shiv-Hari, led to multiple chartbusters in the Hindi film industry.

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia (July 1, 1938 - ): Renowned flautist in the Hindustani classical tradition, Hari Prasad Chaurasia began learning vocal at 15, but switched to flute soon. His father wanted him to take up wrestling so he trained at akhadas, which he feels is the reason for his stamina to play the flute even at this age. Before he was 20 he began working as a performer and composer at the AIR, Odisha. While he began as a right-handed flautist, he switched sides just to show his dedication to his mentor Annapurna Devi. As a classical musician, he collaborated with globally renowned musicians and along with that he and Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma worked in the Hindi film industry as music director duo Shiv-Hari.

N. Rajam (1938 - ): Born in Chennai to a family of traditional musicians, Dr. N. Rajam began training in Carnatic music under her father and later trained under Massurri Subramanium Iyer. She learned ragas from vocalist Omkarnath Thakur. As a violinist, she pioneered the revolutionary GayakiAng, which became so influential that she is now known as the Singing Violin. She mastered the Carnatic style at a very young age, and then ventured into the Hindustani style. Apart from being a great performer, Dr Rajam also served as a Professor and Dean in Banaras Hindu University for four decades.

Ustad Sultan Khan (April 15, 1940 – November 27, 2011):Classical vocalist and sarangi player, Ustad Sultan Khan along with Zakir Hussain and Bill Laswell founded the fusion group Tabla Beat Science. At 11, he gave his first performance at the All-India Music Conference. He was an accomplished vocalist and also a sarangi player and performed at classical music concerts with the sitar player Pandit Ravi Shankar and tabla player Ustad Alla Rakha. Later he went on to accompany music maestros like Ustad Amir Khan, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Pandit Omkarnath Thakur, Ustad Nazakat Ali Khan-Salamat Ali Khan, Kishori Amonkar, Zakir Hussain and many others.

Kattassery Joseph Yesudas (January 10, 1940 - ):In a career spanning over 60 years, Yesudas, has recorded around 50,000 songs in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, Odia, Bengali, Marathi, Arabic, English, Latin, and Russian. He is a musician who sings Hindustani classical, devotional and film songs.

Louis Banks (February 11, 1941 - ): Spearheading the Jazz Movement in India for the past three decades, Banks has been instrumental in bringing a high standard of Jazz performance. A two-time Grammy nominee, he is the man behind some of the most popular pieces of advertisement jingles. He has performed all over the world as a keyboardist and leader of his jazz and fusion bands: Silk, Diya, Reality Check, Aatma, Aakriti, Brotherhood, Matrixx as co-leader of Naad Brahma. He has performed with some of the greatest international jazz musicians like Dizzy Gillespie, John McLaughlin, Mike Stern, Charles Lloyd and others, to Indian Classical legends Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Zakir Hussein, Ramamani and many other great musicians.

Manju Mehta (May 21, 1945): Influenced by her elder brother and first guru Shashi Mohan Bhatt, Vidushi Manju Mehta (Manju Bhatt) took up the sitar at 13. Her distinct and unique style of playing the classical sitar combines the tantrakari ang or instrumental-based style, with the gayaki ang or vocal-based style. From the last quarter of the 20th century, the sitar has been at the centre-stage of Hindustani music globally and Manju Mehta, a senior disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar, is one of India's most renowned female sitarists. The quality of her tone, her ability to be different within traditional confines, and her inherent musicality all combine to make her a unique performer as she combines creativity and tradition to bring out the ‘Rasa’ of Indian Classical music.

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan (October 9, 1945 - ): Born to a family of musicians, he was named Masoom when he was a child, and was later rechristened by a Hindu saint as Amjad Ali Khan. At 12, he gave his first solo recital. It was predicted that he would become a renowned Sarod maestro. Known as Sarod Samrat, for taking Sarod all over the globe, Amjad Ali Khan, the sixth generation Sarod player of his family, experimented on the sarod and modified the instrument. His international collaborations have been applauded and he has been given honorary citizenship of several states in the USA. Massachusetts declared April 20th as the ‘Amjad Ali Khan Day’ in 1984. The musician's family home in Gwalior has been made into a musical centre called the Sarod Ghar.

Lakshminarayana Subramaniam (July 23, 1947): Classical violinist, composer and conductor, L Subramaniam started his music studies at the age of five and gave his first public performance when he was six. He began learning violin under the tutelage of his father, Professor V. Lakshminarayana and after his demise in 1990 he started the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival. Trained in the classical Carnatic music and Western classical music, L Subramaniam, does concerts and collaborates with his four children, daughter singer/songwriter Bindu Subramaniam, violin duets with his son, Ambi Subramaniam, and stage performances with his eldest son Dr Narayana Subramaniam.

Veena Sahasrabuddhe (September 14, 1948 – June 29, 2016): Born in a musical family, Veena Sahasrabuddhe, a renowned Hindustani classical vocalist,  performed all over India and also several other countries. Singer of khyal and bhajan, she began her music training from her father later through mentors like Balwantrai Bhatt, Vasant Thakar, Gajananrao Joshi and Gaansaraswati Kishori Amonkar.

Madhup Mudgal (January 4, 1949 - ): Coming from a family of classical musicians Madhup Mudgal began learning from his father Vinaya Chandra Maudgalya and later from Vasant Thakar and Pandit Jasraj. His final grooming came from Kumar Gandharva, a leading exponent and innovator in Bhakti music in the 20th century. Principal of Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, New Delhi, and the conductor of the Gandharva Choir, Madhup Mudgal is widely traveled and is a much sought after composer.

Pandit Suhas Vyas (October 26, 1949 - ): Emotion is the soul of music, believes Suhas Vyas. Son and disciple of Late Pandit CR Vyas, Suhas is an established vocalist on the contemporary Hindustani classical scene. Coming from an illustrious lineage of musicians he has managed to find his own place among great masters. He is known for systematic renditions of compositions that are tied strongly to the traditions that he has learned in and for upholding the conventional aesthetics of his classical form.

Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (July 27, 1950 - ): VM Bhatt is a Hindustani classical music instrumentalist who developed a stringed instrument, and named it the Mohan Veena. It is a hybrid slide guitar with 19 strings with  tension in excess of 500 pounds, that he plays lap-style, that has been added to the list of Indian classical instruments. He is known for his Grammy award winning album A Meeting by the River with Ry Cooder.

Begum Parveen Sultana (May 24, 1950 - ): Hindustani classical singer Parveen Sultana’s first stage performance happened at 12 and she has been recording since she was 15. She sang her first jugalbandi with Dilshad Khan at Jashn Festival concert in Afghanistan. Parveen began her career as a playback singer with Abdul Majid's Assamese Film Morom Trishna. She has sung films like Gadar, Kudrat, Do Boond Pani, 1920, and Pakeezah, among others. Interestingly she practices for hours in front of a mirror so that she could control facial expressions and ensure she did not look unsuitable for stage performances.

Ustad Zakir Hussain (March 9, 1951): Wearing many hats - that of a tabla maestro, composer, percussionist, music producer and actor - Ustad Zakir Hussain, son of Ustad Alla Rakha Qureshi Khansaheb, is one of those classical musicians who has really changed how the uninitiated view classical music. His style and charisma has attracted many to follow music. He won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album in 2009 for the Global Drum Project and the Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover Album in 2010 for Yo-Yo Ma & Friends: Songs of Joy and Peace.

Brij Narayan (April 25 1952 - ): Sarod player Brij Narayan learnt the instrument under his father Ram Narayan and other teachers like his uncle Chatur Lal and the legendary sarod maestro Ali Akbar Khan and by the time he was 15, he won the All India Radio instrumentalist competition. As a senior classical musician and sarod player, he performed at international festivals and films.

Pandit Satish Vyas (November 16, 1952): Santoor maestro Satish Vyas was initiated into the world of Indian Classical Music by his father, the legendary vocalist C.R. Vyas. He became one of the senior-most disciples of legendary santoor maestro Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. Under his tutelage, Satish honed his musical skills and with a strong foundation laid down by his father at home, he developed his own unique style of playing. He has performed at various prestigious festivals like the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland and the Mostra Mozart Festival organized by the European Mozart Foundation.

Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty (December 25, 1952): Bengali khayal exponent who primarily represented Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Sahab’s gayaki, but also showcases subtle features of all other major classical gharanas of Hindustani and also Carnatic music thanks to his numerous gurus. His father, who had wanted to be a vocalist since childhood, became his first guru and he later went to train under many. His love for music would often lead to whole night riyaaz sessions.

Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar (January 14, 1955): Hindustani classical vocalist Ulhas Kashalkar is well known for his authentic presentations of obscure traditional ragas. Considered to be one of the finest representatives of three gharanas - Gwalior, Jaipur and Agra, he is said to possess the unique ability to switch between the three styles, at times even in one single performance. He is applauded for adhering to the aesthetic contours of each Gwalior, Jaipur and Agra gharana, and also sticking to the formal demands of the raga being presented.

Shubha Mudgal (January 1, 1959 - ): Hindustani classical music artiste Shubha Mudgal’s repertoire includes the genres  khyal, thumri, dadra. As a child she began to learn kathak, but later switched to classical vocal. Over the years she experimented with pop and fusion music and lent her voice to many film and non-film pop songs. She has been imparting her knowledge of Hindustani Classical Music with masterclasses and music courses  conducted online as well as offline.

Shujaat Husain Khan (May 19, 1960 - ): Son of legendary sitar player Ustad Vilayat Khan, Shujaat Khan is considered to be among the renowned North Indian musicians and sitar players of his generation.  A child prodigy, he began formal shows at six and went on to perform with Ustaad Amir Khan, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Vidushi Kishori Amonkar and others. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best World Music Album for his work with the band Ghazal with Iranian musician Kayhan Kalhor. With over 100 albums to his credit, he has collaborated with artists as diverse as Karsh Kale to , a Jugalbandi with Ustad Rashid Khan.

Arati Ankalikar-Tikekar (January 27, 1963): Currently recognized as one of the top vocalists of the current generation, Arati is active mostly in Marathi, Konkani and Hindi film Industry; known for singing in Agra as well as Gwalior and Jaipur style. A recipient of the National Award for 'Anternaad' and Maharashtra State Award She has also received best playback singer for Lavani in the film ‘De Dhakka’. She was the main playback singer for Sham Benegal’s film, “Sardari Begum” and other films like Dil Dosti etc., Samhita, and Saavli.  Aarti continues to enthral music lovers across the globe with her powerful voice.

Pandit Ronu Majumdar (June 22, 1963  -): Credited with popularising the flute among young audiences globally, Ranendra Majumdar, aka Ronu Majumdar, is also referred to as the 'Dr. Feelgood of the Indian Flute’. In 1996, he had a Grammy Nomination and created a Guinness record for conducting a concert with 5,378 flautists on one stage. He composed for India's first I-Max film 'Mystic India' in 2005.

Devaki Pandit (March 6, 1965 - ): Born with a melodious and charming voice, Devaki Pandit showcased her unique Hindustani vocal style and created magic with scintillating performances in India and abroad. Having honed her skills to near perfection under mentors like Gaansaraswati Kishoritai Amonkar and veteran vocalist Jitendra Abhisheki, she has won hearts with her unique style of singing.

Bickram Ghosh (October 20, 1966 - ): Hindustani classical tabla player Bickram Ghosh learned tabla from his father, Pandit Shankar Ghosh. He formed a band Rhythmscape that is into fusion music and also launched his music company, Melting Pot Productions around 12 years ago. The tabla maestro went on to perform with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Pandit Ravi Shankar and also worked with George Harrison. He has also been teaching a percussion course ‘Repercussion’, online.

Kala Ramnath  (May 29, 1967 - ): Indian classical violinist Kala Ramnath was born into a family of prodigious musical talent and violin legends like Prof TN Krishnan and Dr N Rajam. Her skills with the violin manifested during her childhood and she went on to work with musicians like Kai Eckhart, Edgar Meyer, Bela Fleck, Terry Bozzio, Abbos Kossimov, Ayrto Moreira, Giovanni Hidalgo and rock legend Ray Manzarek. She was  also involved in the background score of the Hollywood films.

Ustad Rashid Khan (July 1, 1968 - ): He was all of 11 when he had his first concert, but Rashid Khan was not interested in classical music much when he began.  Coming from an illustrious family of musicians - great-grandson of Inayat Hussain Khan,  maternal grand-nephew of Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan and nephew of Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan. He underwent rigorous training in Hindustani classical vocal and that led to his mastery of taankari, layakaari, intricate rhythmic play and elaborate vilambit khayals.

Anuradha Pal: The  disciple of Ustad Alla Rakha and Zakir Hussain, Anuradha is globally renowned for her articulation, rhythmic artistry and virtuosic repertoire. She became India’s first female professional Tabla player and stormed this male bastion as she defied all odds of not coming from a musician family, not having any godfather and being a female in a male dominated field where there was no precedent! With over 5,000 concerts in 30 countries with her groundbreaking, rhythmic innovations like – Anuradha Pal in Tabla Jugalbandi with herself, path breaking bands like Stree Shakti that was India’s first all-girls Band and Su-Fo-Re,  Sufi-Folk recharged, she still has a tremendous fan following.

Shounak Abhisheki (April 28, 1970 - ): Son and disciple of maestro Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, Shounak’s presentation of Khayal is an aesthetic blend of the Agra and Jaipur styles of Hindustani Vocal. He has had the privilege of being trained by Kamal Tambe of the Jaipur Gharana and has subsequently groomed under the rigorous tutelage of his illustrious father. His keen understanding of the nuances and intricacies of music making coupled with the stylistic techniques imbibed in him, have lent a unique texture to Shounak’s music. He has explored new dimensions in music and his inclination towards experimentation has led him to work with internationally acclaimed artists and musicians from other genres of world music.

Rakesh Chaurasia (January 10, 1071 - ): An accomplished flautist, Rakesh Chaurasia has evolved a unique style by incorporating the tradition of his renowned uncle, flautist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, while maintaining the purity of the flute.

Shashwati Mandal (1971 - ): Born into a family devoted to music, Shashwati showed rare sensitivity towards it from early childhood. Grand-daughter of the late Pt. BalabhauUmdekar, exponent of the Gwalior style of classical Hindustani music, initially trained under her mother Smt. Kamal Mandal. Shashwati, a fine exponent of the Gwalior style, has a musical dexterity that marks a refined eclecticism that has lent her an individualistic style at a fairly young age.

Anand Bhate  (April 29, 1971 - ): Considered to be among the most promising artistes in the new generation of Kirana style, Anand started his musical journey as a toddler. He is adept at Hindustani Classical, Marathi Natyasangeet and devotional compositions. For more than 15 years now, he has been a disciple of the great classical vocalist, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, doyen of the Kirana Gharana. Anand was a gifted child prodigy from a family that had a background in classical music as well as Marathi drama. His great-grandfather, famously called Bhatebuva, was known for his prowess in rendering the thumri and natyasangeet.

Jayateerth Mevundi (May 17, 1972 - ): Jayateerth Mevundi is considered to be among the well-known exponents of Hindustani music, learned Hindustani classical vocal under the guidance of Late Shri Arjunsa Nakod and Late Shri Shripati Padegar of Kirana Gharana. He is known for his power-packed performances on stage comprising different genres ranging from classical to semi classical to devotional music. Jayateeerth has been hailed by composer AR Rehman as ‘the most electrifying Indian musician of the present era’ and an ‘extremely tuneful singer’ by legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar.

Rahul Sharma (September 25, 1972) : Indian classical santoor player and music composer Rahul Sharma began learning santoor at 13 from his father Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma and would accompany him at global concerts. He has collaborated with renowned artistes including saxophonist Kenny G,  Eric Miquet, pianist Richard Clayderman and keyboardist Kersi Lord, John McLaughlin, Mickey Hart, George Harrison, Yo Yo Ma, Joe Henderson, Van Morrison, Airto Moreira, Pharoah Sanders and others. He composed the music for Hindi feature film 'Mujhse Dosti Karoge' - his first and last Bollywood venture, after which he went back to his first love - santoor.

Niladri Kumar (January 1973 -): Niladri Kumar began learning sitar from Pandit Ravi Shankar’s  disciple, his father Sitar Maestro Kartick Kumar when he was four and by the time he was six he had his first public performance. He went on to create the Zitar, which was a fusion between the traditional classical sitar and the guitar. Not only did he collaborate with global musicians like Zakir Hussain, Jonas Hellborg,  V Selvaganesh, John McLaughlin but also worked with Hindi film music composers like A.R. Rahman, Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy and Pritam. He composed  Aahista for Imtiaz Ali's 'Laila Majnu' and recently created two songs in the SonyLIV series 'Dr Arora'.

M. Krishna (January 22, 1976 -  ):Classical Carnatic vocalist, writer, activist and author Thodur Madabusi Krishna is known for  multiple innovations in style and substance in his concerts. His training under  distinguished gurus led to his passionate intensity, stunning individuality of his renditions and his ability to sing high-speed swaras in many unknown, rare ragas.

Purbayan Chatterjee (September 12, 1976 - ): After learning sitar from his father Parthapratim Chatterjee, Purbayan Chatterjee went on to be a part of the first Indian Classical Band with a contemporary touch - Shastriya Syndicate. The band has performed in festivals like the Roskilde Festival, Denmark; OzAsia Festival, Australia; Traumzeit Festival, Germany, etc. He is known for combining traditional Hindustani classical music with new-age world music genres. He designed the ‘Dwo’, a doppelganger of the Sitar.

Sabir Khan (January 10, 1978): Son and disciple of the legendary Sarangi player late Ustad Sultan Khan, Sabir Khan began learning music when he was 6. Over the years, he excelled in improvisations and showcased a technique of playing a rare combination of sur and laya (note and rhythm), to enhance the  melodic expression of raga. Sabir has collaborated with great artistes like Zakir Hussain, Ranjit Barot, Salim-Suleiman and performed in concerts across India and abroad. Today he is known for his mastery of sarangi.

Paras Nath (June 30 - ): He trained under the expert guidance of his father Pandit Amar Nath since he was 5. In the last almost two decades, he has delved into the realms of Shashtriya Sangeet. Parasnath’s fluid and distinctive melodic tunes, with emphasis on Gayaki Ang, cross borders, mesmerising and captivating listeners everywhere.

Kalapini Komakali: Daughter and disciple of the legendary Pandit Kumar Gandharva and Vidushi Vasundhara Komakali, Kalapini Komkali is considered to be among the finest classical vocalists of the younger generation. Her great lineage and versatility is showcased in the way she renders bandish, bhava, laya and in her musical range. A practitioner of the Gwalior Gayaki style of Indian Classical Music, she has performed at many prominent festivals across the globe.

Ashwin Srinivasan (1979 - ): Born into a family of musicians, he began his Hindustani classical music journey at 2, and at 7, the bansuri caught his attention. He learned to play it under Venkatesh Godkhindi and Pundalik Shenoy. He also trained with violinist Dr. N Rajam. Today, he is the most sought after flautist in Mumbai, and is known not only for his Bansuri, but also for his proficiency in various other world folk wind instruments. He is an integral part of Oscar winner A.R. Rahman’s band.

Kaushiki Chakraborty (October 24, 1980 - ): Daughter of Hindustani classical vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, Kaushiki Chakraborty first sang publicly at 7. At 10, her formal music training began and at 20 she performed at the Dover Lane Music Conference. Later she got her degree in music and went on to specialise in rendering Khyals and Thumri but also learned South Indian Classical music.

Pelva Naik (February 5, 1986 - ): One of the few female Dhrupad singers in India, Naik is a proponent of the Dagar Gharana. She is a disciple of Dhrupad maestro Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar. She has also received guidance from Rudraveena maestro Ustad Mohi Bahauddin Dagar.

Ramakant Gaikwad (May 13, 1988 - ): This 34-year-old khayal singer began learning when he was 4 and started performing on the stage when he was 6. He fuses the Kirana and Patiala gharanas and is learning from maestro Pt. Nayan Ghosh and also received guidance from Padmashree Pt. Jagadish Prasad (Disciple of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan).

Abhishek Borkar (1992 - ): As a child, this versatile musician fell in love with the sounds of the sarod. At the age of 4, he underwent training in vocal and tabla, and later learnt sarod from his father and Guru Pandit Shekhar Borkar. When he turned 16, released his first solo CD titled ‘Pratibha’.

Mehtab Ali Niazi (October 20, 1997 - ): Mehtab belongs to the Bhendi Bazar Moradabad Gharana and his father, sitar player Ustad Mohsin Ali Khan, has been training him since he was four years old. At the age of 6, Mehtab had his first performance and left the audience astounded. He is touted to be among the finest sitar players currently among the younger generation of classical musicians.

*Listicles in this series are comprehensive, not exhaustive