Hindustani classical music is the classical music of the Indian subcontinent's northern regions. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, shastriya sangeet. The term shastriya sangeet literally means classical music, and is also used to refer to Indian classical music in general. It is played on instruments like the veena, sitar and sarod. Its origins from the 12th century CE, when it diverged from Carnatic music, the classical tradition in South India. While Carnatic music largely uses compositions written in Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindustani music largely uses compositions written in Hindi-Urdu, Braj, Avadhi, Rajasthani, and Punjabi.
Jasraj was an Indian classical vocalist, belonging to the Mewati gharana. His musical career spanned 75 years resulting in national and international fame, respect and numerous major awards and accolades. His legacy includes memorable performances of classical and semi-classical vocal music, classical and devotional music, albums and film soundtracks, innovations in various genres including Haveli Sangeeth and popularizing the Mewati Gharana – a school of thought in Hindustani classical music. Pandit Jasraj taught music to amateur and professional students in India, Europe, Canada and the United States.
Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty is an Hindustani classical vocalist, composer, lyricist and an exponent of the Patiala-Kasur gharana. He was given Padma Bhushan Award, the third highest civilian award in India in 2020.
Girija Devi was an Indian classical singer of the Seniya and Banaras gharanas. She performed classical and light classical music and helped elevate the profile of thumri. She was dubbed as the 'Queen of Thumri' for her contribution in the genre. She died on 24 October 2017.
Ustad Rashid Khan was an Indian classical musician in the Hindustani tradition. He belonged to the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana, and was the great-grandson of gharana founder Inayat Hussain Khan. He was married to Soma Khan.
The Patiala gharana is one of the vocal gharanas of Hindustani classical music, named after the city of Patiala in Punjab, India where it was established. The gharana was founded in the mid to late 19th century by Mian Kallu, a sārangi player of the Jaipur durbar. He received his musical training from the last Mughal king Bahadur Shah Zafar's court musician Qutub Bakhsh 'Tanras' Khan and went on to become the court musician to the Maharaja of Patiala. Eventually, the mantle was passed on to his son, 'General' Ali Baksh Khan and his close friend 'Colonel' Fateh Ali Khan, both of whom became court musicians in the court of Maharaja Rajinder Singh. The titles of 'general' and 'colonel' of music were bestowed upon them by the Victor Alexander Bruce, the 9th Earl of Elgin, after the duo had enthralled him with their performance. Their pairing was popularly referred to as 'Ali-a-Fattu ki Jodi.'
Chintaman Raghunath Vyas, popularly known as C. R. Vyas, was an Indian classical singer. He was known for singing khyal style.
Padma Talwalkar is an Indian classical vocalist.
Vidyadhar Koparkar is a Hindustani classical singer. He himself is a guru and is a disciple of Pt. Dr. Vasantrao Deshpande and Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki. He sings khyal, tarana, thumri, tappa, dadra, bhajan, abhang and natyageet among other genres.
Lalith J. Rao is an Indian classical singer and a representative of the Agra gharana.
Saraswati Rane was an Indian classical singer in the Hindustani Classical genre. She was a daughter of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan (1872–1937), the founder of Kirana Gharana. Her family had a long and great music tradition. She got her initial training of vocal music of the Kirana Gharana style from her elder brother Sureshbabu Mane and elder sister Hirabai Barodekar, who themselves were the doyen of Indian classical music of their times. Later she also sang along with elder sister, Hirabai Bododekar, especially in jugalbandi style.
Manjusha Kulkarni-Patil is a Hindustani classical music vocalist. She belongs to the Gwalior gharana.
Pandit Manilal Nag is an Indian classical sitar player and an exponent of the Bishnupur gharana of Bengal. He was given the Padma Shri Award, the fourth highest civilian award in India in 2020.
A. Kanan / Arkut Kannabhiran, more popularly known as A. Kanan, was an Indian vocalist in the Hindustani classical tradition and one of the legendary vocalist from Kirana Gharana. He is known for the khayal form of singing to which he lent his individuality.
Sandip Bhattacharjee, is an Indian classical singer belonging to the Kirana gharana .His repertoire covers pure classical, Khyal, Thumris, Ghazals etc.
Vasundhara Komkali (1931–2015), popularly known as Vasundhara Tai, was an Indian classical musician and one of the leading exponents of the Gwalior gharana, an old Khyal tradition of Hindustani music. She was the wife of renowned musician, Kumar Gandharva, and was a recipient of the 2009 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2006, for her contributions to Indian classical music.
Subhra Guha is a vocalist in the Hindustani classical music tradition from the Agra gharana style of singing. Her repertoire covers khyals, thumri and dadra.
Shyam Sundar Goswami is an Indian classical vocalist, trained in Kirana Gharana.
Gaan Maharishi Pt. Krishnarao Shankar Pandit (1893–1989) was an Indian musician, considered by many as one of the leading vocalists of the Gwalior gharana. He authored several articles and 8 books on music and was the founder of Shankar Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, a music college based in Gwalior. The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan, in 1973, for his contributions to music. He was also a recipient of several other honors, including the 1959 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the 1980 Tansen Award of the Government of Madhya Pradesh.
Vishmadev Chattopadhyay was an eminent vocal artist in Indian Classical Music, a revered Guru in the Delhi Gharana of the vocal classical genre, and a music director in Bengali Film Industry in its early era.
