Composer Hariprasad Chaurasia

• Songs:  55

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, born on July 1, 1938, in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), Uttar Pradesh, is a renowned Indian classical flautist known for his mastery of the bansuri, a traditional bamboo flute. Despite his father’s desire for him to become a wrestler, Chaurasia pursued his passion for music, secretly learning vocal music from Pandit Rajaram at the age of 15. He later trained under flautist Pandit Bholanath of Varanasi and received guidance from Annapurna Devi, daughter of Baba Allaudin Khan.

Chaurasia’s illustrious career includes collaborations with international artists like Yehudi Menuhin and Jean-Pierre Rampal. He has performed globally, featuring in major music festivals and contributing to the popularization of Indian classical music worldwide. In the 1980s and 1990s, he partnered with santoor maestro Shivkumar Sharma under the name Shiv–Hari, composing music for Bollywood films such as Silsila (1981), Chandni (1989), and Lamhe (1991).

Throughout his career, Chaurasia has received numerous accolades, including the Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 1992, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2000. He continues to inspire and mentor aspiring musicians, contributing significantly to the preservation and propagation of Indian classical music.