India's Most Reputed Musicians

Pandit Devabrata Chaudhuri is a Sitarist and a teacher. He is the winner of the Padmabhushan and Padmashree awards. He is the writer of six books, composer of eight new ragas and numerous musical compositions. From 1963 he has appeared in numerous radio broadcasts, and he is a disciple of Mushtaq Ali Khan. He is considered a leading Sitarist of Post War era. He is regarded as one of the leading proponents of Senia Style. He is the former Dean and Head, Faculty of Music, University of Delhi. His music is noted for its sweet sinking ringing tone. He currently stays with his son, daughter-in law and niece at Chittaranjan Park, New Delhi

Ali Akbar Khan, often referred to as Khansahib or by the title Ustad (master), was a Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod. Khan was instrumental in popularising Indian classical music in the West, both as a performer (often in conjunction with Sitar maestro Ravi Shankar), and as a teacher.

Amjad Ali Khan is an Indian classical musician who plays the Sarod. Khan was born into a musical family and has performed internationally since the 1960s. He was awarded India's second highest civilian honor, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2001.

Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi, also known as M.S., was a renowned Carnatic vocalist. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour. She is the first Indian musician to receive the Ramon Magsaysay award, often considered Asia's Nobel Prize, in 1974 with the citation reading "Exacting purists acknowledge Srimati M. S. Subbulakshmi as the leading exponent of classical and semi-classical songs in the Karnataka tradition of South India."

An internationally acclaimed flautist of India, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia is a very popular and eminent artiste par excellence who is known for his outstanding contribution in popularizing Indian Classical Music all over the world. His consummate artistry has distinguished him as the greatest living master of the North Indian Bamboo Flute, acclaimed both at home and abroad.

Ravi Shankar, his name often preceded by the title Pandit, was an Indian musician who was one of the best-known exponents of the sitar in the second half of the 20th century as well as a composer of Hindustani classical music.

Zakir Hussain is an Indian tabla player, musical producer, film actor and composer. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1988, and the Padma Bhushan in 2002, by the Government of India. He was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1990, given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. In 1999, he was awarded the United States National Endowment for the Arts's National Heritage Fellowship, the highest award given to traditional artists and musicians.

Rahul Dev Burman was an Indian film score composer, who is considered one of the seminal music directors of the Indian film industry. Nicknamed Pancham da, he was the only son of the composer Sachin Dev Burman. From the 1960s to the 1990s, RD Burman composed musical scores for 331 movies. He was mainly active in the Hindi film industry as a composer, and also provided vocals for a few of compositions. In addition, he scored many timeless songs sung by Lata Mangeshkar. He served as an influence to the next generation of Indian music directors, and his songs continue to be popular in India even after his death.

nnapurna Devi, is an Indian surbahar (bass sitar) player of Hindustani Classical Music. She is the daughter and disciple of Allauddin Khan, the founder of Maihar gharana, and from 1941 to 1962 was married to sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, also one of her father's disciples. After her divorce, she never performed again in public. She moved to Mumbai, became a recluse and started teaching. Over the years she has had notable disciples: Hariprasad Chaurasia, Nikhil Banerjee, Amit Bhattacharya, Pradeep Barot and Saswatti Saha (Sitar).

Pandit Shivkumar Sharma is a very famous classical musician who has acquired international fame by playing the classical instrument, Santoor. The Santoor is a trapezoid-shaped hammered dulcimer often made of walnut wood and has 72 strings, which are struck with two delicate carved wooden mallets. The santoor is essentially a folk instrument that originated in the Kashmir Valley, which was given the status of a classical instrument due to the persistent efforts of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. Reaching at this level in life was not easy for him and it is because of the determination of Shivkumar Sharma that the Santoor is a popular classical instrument.