Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia
Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia not only occupies a
unique place in India as the country’s top ranking flutist,
but he is acclaimed world-over for his mastery of the melodious
wind instrument, Bansuri the bamboo flute.
Born in Allahabad in 1938, the son of a wrestler, he was
initially destined to follow his father’s career, and
despite having always been attracted to music (mostly in the form
of film tunes and radio broadcasts), he did not receive any
formal musical training until the age of 15, when he began to
learn classical singing with Pandit Raja Ram, a local vocalist.
Within a year he decided to switch to the bamboo flute after
hearing a recital given by Pandit Bholanath, a renowned flutist
from Benares, whose pupil he became. But he owes much of his
success to Smt. Annapurna Devi, the brilliant daughter of the
greatest musician India has produced in this century, the late
Acharya Allauddin Khan of Maihar. Not being a flute player
herself, she taught by singing to him most appropriately in view
both the musical traditions of India and the individual qualities
of his chosen instrument.
In the dexterous hands of Pandit Chaurasia, the bamboo flute
emerges from its pastoral background to express nuances of Indian
classical music with unsurpassed elegance. His rendering of
classical as well as light classical compositions is unusually
imaginative and is characterized by a complete command over
layakari, i.e. the rhythmic structure of music.
As a musician Pandit Chaurasia is a rare combination of
innovator and a traditionalist. He has significantly expanded the
expressive possibilities of the bamboo flute with his masterful
technique. Pandit Chaurasia has performed internationally and has
participated in numerous music festivals organized in nearly
every country of the continents of Europe, North America,
Australia and Asia.
In 1984, in recognition of his outstanding contributions in
Indian classical music, the Sangeet Natak Academy (i.e. the
Indian Academy of Music, Dance and Drama), presented him its
National Award. He is recipient of two of the most prestigious
awards in performing arts; the Maharashtra Puraskar, given by the
state of Maharashtra and the Konrak Samman given by the state of
Orissa. In 1992, the president of India bestowed him the title of
Padmabhushan, one of the highest civilian awards that can be
given to an Indian national.