Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia is the most famous Indian exponent of the
flute. Born on July 1, 1938 in
Allahabad, he learnt
Hindustani Classical music from Pandit Rajaram, Pandit Bholanath and Annapurna Devi. Having worked at
All India Radio's
Cuttack and
Mumbai stations, the maestro gave up his regular job to devote himself to the propagation of flute or Bansuri (as it is called in
Hindi). He has worked with several internationally known musicians such as Yehudi Menuhin, John McLaughlin and Jean Pierre Rampal, as a part of his musical experimentations. He has performed at numerous concerts in India and abroad. Currently, he is living with his family at Mumbai. Along with
Santoor maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, he has composed for several popular
Bollywood movies such as 'Silsila', ‘Darr’ and 'Chandni'. He has been conferred Padma Vibhusan, Padma Bhushan,
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar and many other prestigious awards.
