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About Skirball Cultural Center

The Skirball features an extraordinary museum, changing exhibitions, engaging entertainment, Zeidler's Cafe and Audrey's Museum store--all in a stunning architectural setting designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie.

On tour in celebration of his seventieth birthday, Indian living legend Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia leads fellow bansuri (flute) virtuosos Rakesh Chaurasia and Rupak Kulkarni, Pandit Subhankar Banerjee on tabla, and Pandit Bhavani Shankar on the pakhawaj (drum) in a mesmerizing performance of Indian classical music, steeped in India's mystical traditions.

This performance is presented as part of the Skirball's music series Sacred Traditions, Musical Blessings, which honors spiritual traditions from around the world and is inspired by the ecumenical message of the exhibition A Blessing to One Another.

As a world-renowned virtuoso of the bansuri (North Indian bamboo flute), Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia is known for his outstanding contributions to the popularization of Indian classical music abroad. His consummate artistry has distinguished him as a master of the bansuri and a legend in his own time. He has delighted audiences around the world with his versatility and inimitable style.

Made from a piece of hollowed-out bamboo, the bansuri flute has just six finger holes. Skilled at both breathing and blowing techniques, Chaurasia can play an astounding range of four and a half octaves, significantly expanding the expressive possibilities of the bansuri. For example, his skills have enabled him to adapt the fast tempo of the jod and jhala (passages usually played on string instruments) to the flute.

Chaurasia adheres to the training known as Senia Gharana, but integrates other styles into his playing. For instance, when playing an alap (an opening non-rhythmic section of a song), Chaurasia follows the dhrupad style (a single melodic line with no harmonics). In his vocal compositions, Chaurasia uses the khayal style (a modern genre of North Indian classical singing), while for his dhun (light instrumental) pieces, he incorporates thumri (romantic and devotional music from North India).

Unlike many other great musicians of India, Chaurasia was not born into a family of musicians. His father was a noted wrestler who was keen that his son follow in his footsteps. Young Chaurasia began training as a wrestler but took to playing the bansuri instead and studied under Pandit Bholanath and Annapurna Shankar.

Chauraisa has been awarded many honors, including: the Padma Vibhushan (the second-highest civilian award in India given by the President) in 2000; the Padma Bhushan (third-highest civilian award) in 1992; and an award from the Sangeet Natak Academy (India's national performing arts academy) in 1983 in the "instrumental music" category. He performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo in 1998. He has also performed at Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Barbican Center, the Kremlin, the Bolshoi Theater, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center. Furthermore, the mayor of San Francisco proclaimed July 25, 1998, as Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia day in San Francisco.

In addition to performing solo, Chaurasia has collaborated with Western musicians such as the late Yehudi Menuhin, Jean Pierre Rampal, John McLaughlin, Jan Garbarek, Ian Anderson, Egberto Gismonti, and many others.

A prolific composer and recording artist, Chaurasia has produced several albums, over three hundred recordings, and a double album with santoor (dulcimer) master Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, entitled Love, Peace and Harmony.

Chaurasia hopes to establish gurukul schools-where students study a particular musical genre and reside in close proximity to their teacher-throughout the world, and to give equal access to his music and teaching to underprivileged, talented children. He has established the Brindavan Gurukul, an academy dedicated to the teaching and promotion of performing arts of the world (particularly music and dance), yoga, and meditation techniques. As an ambassador of peace, Chaurasia travels extensively throughout the world, focusing on children and youth. He also heads the world music department at the Rotterdam Music Conservatory in the Netherlands.

The ensemble Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia's Magical Flutes consists of three bansuri players (in addition to Chaurasia himself) and two percussionists:

Rakesh Chaurasia is the nephew and disciple of Hariprasad Chaurasia. Rakesh started playing flute at the age of five and has accompanied his uncle/guru on tours around the world since he was thirteen. A highly gifted artist, Rakesh has performed solo concerts and has collaborated with other artists as well. While his forte is classical music, Rakesh is equally at home with popular and folk music.

Rupak Kulkarni is also a disciple of Hariprasad Chaurasia, has garnered several prestigious awards, and is a top artist on All India Radio and the television channel Doordarshan. In addition to accompanying Hariprasad Chaurasia at major concert venues worldwide, Kulkarni is a solo recording artist in great demand.

Pandit Subhankar Banerjee, a tabla master, has received accolades from filmmaker Satyajit Ray, Pandit Ravi Shankar, and President Venkatarman. Banerjee is also a competent vocalist and a prolific recording artist. He has accompanied prominent musicians including Ravi Shankar, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Pandit L. Subramanium, Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, Pandit V.G. Jog, and Ustad Imrat Hussian Khan, among others.

Pandit Bhawani Shankar Kathak is a talented pakhawaj (two-headed hand drum) and tabla player who has performed worldwide. He has won several awards such as the Pandit Jasraj Gaurav Puraskar (2002) and Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Academy Award (2003). He has accompanied many top performing artists of India such as Ravi Shankar, Pandit Jasraj, Birju Maharaj, Shivkumar Sharma, Amjad Ali Khan, and others.