The exponent who got tabla to the centre stage was born on 9 March 1951. Trained by his father, Ustad Alah Rakha, who traces his lineage to the Punjab Gharana, Zakir Hussain accompanied Pandit Ravi Shankar at a very young age.

In his early years, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma learnt both the tabla and the santoor. In addition he was also a vocalist. But it was after 1955 that he decided to reflect his true personality through an instrument that is meant to be played percussively – the santoor.

Acknowledged as the leading light of the Kirana gharana, Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi was born on 14 February 1922 as a conservative school master’s son of Gadag, an idyllic village in Dharwad district of Karnataka.

Where others see conflict and contradiction between his music and his religion, Bismillah Khan sees only a divine unity. Music, sur, namaaz is the same thing. His namaaz is the seven shuddh and five komal surs. Even as a devout Shia, Khan Sahib is also a staunch devotee of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of music.

Pandit Ravi Shankar was trained in sitar under Ustad Allauddin Khan of Maihar for six years (1938-44), a court musician and a disciple of Swami Haridas of the Tansen Gharana.

Born on 1 July 1938, in Allahabad, India, Hariprasad Chaurasia began his musical training as a vocalist under Pandit Rajaram. Within a year, he switched to flute-playing after hearing Pandit Bholanath, a noted flautist from Varanasi.

Pandit Jasraj, the unparalleled doyen of North Indian Classical vocals, has a scholarship instituted by the University of Toronto in his name for deserving young Canadian students who wish to train in Indian music. 

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan is one of the foremost Sarod players in India and has carved a niche for himself in the Hall of Fame of Indian classical music. He has achieved immense popularity in India as well as abroad and has equally regaled connoisseurs and lay listeners of classical music.