Quick Facts
Biography
Swapan Chaudhuri is an Indian tabla player, who has accompanied several musicians of Indian classical music, including, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Pandit Jasraj.
He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama in 1997.
Early life and training
Swapan Chaudhuri's parents, through their own passion for music, initiated his formal musical training. Swapan Chaudhuri started tabla learning at the age of five. He bases his style on the intensive training he received from his Guru, Pandit Santosh Krishna Biswas of Calcutta, the eminent exponent of the Lucknow Gharana. He holds a master's degree in music and has been conferred honors for his distinguished contributions in the field of tabla by the government of India and various musical institutions. He also holds a degree in economics from Jadavpur University, Calcutta.
Career
As a soloist and accompanist Swapan has traveled throughout Europe, North and South America, and Asia, accompanying maestros such as Pandit Habib Khan, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, the late Nikhil Banerjee, Ustad Amir Khan, Vasant Rai, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Jasraj, Dr. Balamurali Krishna, and other eminent artists. In addition, he has produced many recordings, including his own tabla solo and video tapes, and has appeared extensively on television and radio. Swapan's music reaches beyond the scope of classical music to include performances and recordings with musicians such as L. Shankar, John Handy, and the African drum master Malenga. He has participated in many international music festivals such as Bath, Perth, Sydney, Tokyo, San Francisco, Kuala Lampur, Stuttgart, and Berlin. He has composed for several percussion ensembles, which have received much appreciation from both western and Indian audiences.
He is currently the director of percussion at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California and in Basle, Switzerland. He is also a member of the teaching staff at the California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, California.