Hariprasad Chaurasia

Hariprasad Chaurasia (born July 1, 1938, Allahabad, United Provinces, British India [now in Uttar Pradesh, India]) is an Indian flutist in the Hindustani classical tradition whose performances and compositions brought global recognition to the bansuri, a simple side-blown bamboo flute.

Unlike most other noted musicians of his generation, Chaurasia was not born into a family of musicians. Although he studied stenography and wrestling to please his father, a professional wrestler, he took clandestine voice lessons in Hindustani classical music from noted Benares (Varanasi) vocalist Raja Ram. After hearing a performance in his early teens by Bholanath, a well-known flutist of Benares, Chaurasia became his disciple and underwent eight years of rigorous training. In 1958 he performed and composed music for the All India Radio (AIR) in Cuttack, Orissa. When he was transferred by AIR to Bombay (now Mumbai), Chaurasia played prolifically both for the film industry and at concerts. He was further tutored by the surbahar (bass sitar) player Annapurna Devi, daughter of the late Allauddin Khan and one of the few uncompromisingly classical purists in the Hindustani tradition.

Chaurasia belonged to the Senia gharana (a community of performers who share a distinctive musical style), and he developed a rich personal style after years of experimentation and dedicated practice. His unique adaptation of raga forms for the flute reflect his complete mastery of the idiom. Chaurasia’s style popularized classical music and had a wide audience, but his critics considered his interpretation of ragas overly romantic.

In 1984 he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi (National Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama) award for his outstanding contribution to music. He received two of India’s highest civilian honours, the Padma Bhushan (1992) and the Padma Vibhushan (2000).