Sandeep Das, tabla
Two-time Grammy nominated tabla player Sandeep Das is considered one of the leading tabla players in the world today. One of the disciples of legendary tabla maestro Pandit Kishan Maharaj ji of the Benaras Gharana, his initiation into tabla was with Pt. Shiv Kumar Singh of Patna and he made his debut at age 15 with Sitar Maestro Pt. Ravi Shankar.
Over his career Mr. Das has carved out a niche for himself, performing at major venues around the globe including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Royal Concertgebouw, Royal Albert Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Kennedy Center, and the Petronas Tower Hall in Malaysia, and with major ensembles including the Boston and Chicago Symphonies and the New York Philharmonic. Mr. Das frequently performs with stars of Indian music including Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, and Dr. L Subramaniam, among others.
Sandeep Das has recorded music on more than 30 labels, including Virgin, Sony and Makar Records. His 2003 recording with Ghazal was nominated for a Grammy Award, as was the Silk Road Ensemble’s 2009 album Off the Map, which included “Sulvasutra,” a piece written for him by Evan Ziporyn.
An active composer, Mr. Das has also composed for and performed internationally with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble since the group’s founding in 2000.
Mr. Das was educated at Banaras Hindu University and is currently based in Boston, USA and where he teaches at Harvard and Dartmouth. He is the founder of HUM (Harmony and Universality through Music), an ensemble of world-class artists whose goal is to promote global understanding through musical performance and education.