Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia
Hari Prasad, or "Blessings of the Lord", an appropriate name indeed. Hari
Prasad Chaurasia's God gifted talent and hsi consummate artistry has
distinguished him as the greatest living master of the North Indian flute today.
The simple bamboo flute transformed by the late Pannalal Ghosh into an important
instrument for interpreting the finer nuances of Indian classical music has
indeed found a guardian angel in Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. Hariji, as his
admireres call him, has not only nurtured Panna Babu's legacy but with his
natural talent for music and diligent practice combined with his highly
innovative approach has made the flute almost indispensable for a concert of
Indian classical music, anywhere in the world.
Unlike many other great musicians of India, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia was
not born in a family of musicians. In fact, his father, a noted wrestler, was
bent upon making his son famous as a grappler. Born on July 1, 1938 in
Allahabad, he began his musical pursuit at the age of fifteen when he began
learning vocal technique from Pt. Rajaram. Within a year, however, he had
switched to playing the bansuri, after hearing Pt. Bholanath, a noted flautist
from Varanasi, whom he then studied under for eight years. In 1957, barely out
of his teens, he became a regular staff member of All India Radio in Cuttack,
Orissa, where he worked both as a performer and music composer. He was
transferred by All India Radio to Bombay in 1962.
He received further guidance from surbahar player Annapurna Devi, the
daughter of the late Ustad Allaudin Khan and the sister of Ali Akbar Khan. Under
her guidance his music acquired a new depth, characteristic of the Maihar
gharana. He left All India Radio in 1965 to pursue his performing career. Later,
a chance listening to a flute recital by Pandit Bholanath had such a profound
impression on him that he switched to learning the art of flute playing from the
Master.
Hari Prasad Chaurasia's appearance on the concert platform brought him
instant acclaim all over India which was soon followed by invitations from music
festivals in Iran, Europe and the USA, where he reaped a rich harvest of
rewards. In 1984, he was given the National Award of the Sangeet Natak
Academy in recognition of his outstanding contributions to music and later in
1990 he won the Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar.
Pt. Chaurasia has performed throughout the world winning acclaim from
varied audiences and fellow musicians including Yehudi Menuhin and Jean Pierre
Rampal Touring regularly in the US and Europe, he was also a featured artist in
the US Festival of India in 1985. Among his many awards, in 1992, he was the
first flautist in Indian history to be awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's most
prestigious award recognizing excellence in arts.
During his eventful performing career, he has made numerous recordings of
North Indian art music. As a musician, Pt. Chaurasia is a rare combination of
innovator and traditionalist. He has significantly expanded the expressive
possibilities of the classical North Indian flute playing through his masterful
blowing technique and unique adaptation of jod and jhala to the flute. Immensely
popular in India, he is among a few but growing classicists who have made a
conscious effort to reach out and expand the audience for art music.
Pt. Chaurasia's musical repertoire also extends beyond North Indian art music
to Indian folk, Indian popular music and western music. He has composed music
for many Indian films including 'Silsila' which, in collaboration with Pt. Shiv
Kumar Sharma, was a platinum disc in India. Equally impressive was his
experimental album 'Eternity' which incorporated many western elements alongside
North Indian art music. In the late 1990s, he has also collaborated with Western
artists like John Mclaughlin and Jan Garbarek, adding to his international
appeal and widespread popularity.
In addition to his performance and composition, Pt. Chaurasia is a dedicated
teacher with several devoted art music students throughout the world who are
beginning to make their mark on the concert stage. He also dedicates five months
of the year at the Rotterdam World Music Conservatory where he chairs the Indian
Music Department. When not on the road, he resides in Bombay.
