Hariprasad Chaurasia

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia (born 1 July 1938) is an Indian classical flautist.

Early life
Hariprasad Chaurasia was born in Allahabad in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. His father was a wrestler. His mother died when he was 6. He had to learn music without his father's knowledge, for his father wanted him to become a wrestler. He did go to the Akhada and train with his father for some time, although he also started learning music and practising at his friend's house. He often credits his wrestling training for giving him the immense stamina and lung power that are the hallmarks of his flute playing, stating that, I was not any good at wrestling. I went there only to please my father. But maybe because of the strength and stamina I built up then, I'm able to play the bansuri even to this day.

Career
Hariprasad Chaurasia started learning vocal music from his neighbor, Pandit Rajaram at the age of 15. Later, he switched to playing the flute under the tutelage of Pandit Bholanath Prasanna of Varanasi for eight years. He joined the All India Radio, Cuttack, Odisha in 1957 and worked as a composer and performer Much later, while working for All India Radio he received guidance from the reclusive Annapurna Devi, daughter of Baba Allaudin Khan.

Apart from classical music, he has made a mark as a music director for Indian films along with Shivkumar Sharma, forming a group called Shiv-Hari. He has also collaborated with various world musicians in experimental cross-cultural performances, including the fusion group Shakti.

He serves as the Artistic Director of the World Music Department at the Rotterdam Music Conservatory in the Netherlands. He is also the founder of the Vrindavan Gurukul in Mumbai (opened 2006) and Vrindavan Gurukul in Bhubaneshwar (opened 2010). Both of these institutes are schools dedicated to training students in Hindustani Bansuri in the Guru-shishya tradition. As a Guru, he has produced many noted disciples including his nephew Rakesh Chaurasia.

He has collaborated with several western musicians, including John McLaughlin, Jan Garbarek, and Ken Lauber, and has also composed music for a number of Indian films. He has performed throughout the world, winning acclaim from varied audiences and fellow musicians including Yehudi Menuhin and Jean-Pierre Rampal.

Personal life
Chaurasia was married to Kamla and Anuradha. He has three sons Vinay, Ajay and Rajiv.

In popular culture
The 2013 documentary film Bansuri Guru features the life and legacy of Chaurasia and was produced by the Films Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.

Awards

 * Sangeet Natak Academy - 1984
 * Konark Samman - 1992
 * Padma Bhushan - 1992
 * Yash Bharati Sanman - 1994
 * Padma Vibhushan - 2000
 * Hafiz Ali Khan Award - 2000
 * Dinanath Mangeshkar Award - 2000
 * Pune Pandit Award - 2008, by The Art & Music Foundation, Pune, India
 * Akshaya Sanman - 2009
 * National Eminence award, NADA VIDYA BHARTI by Visakha Music and Dance Academy, Vizag - 2009

Honours

 * Honoured by Dutch Royal family at Amsterdam,and was conferred with the title Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau (“officier in de Orde van Oranje-Nassau”) and was honoured by - then - Princess Maxima herself.
 * Ministry of Culture of the Republic of France. He has been appointed as Knight in the Order of Arts and Letter (“Ordres des Arts et Lettres”) in appreciation of the significant contribution he has made to spread culture in France and the rest of the World - 2009
 * Honorary Doctorate by the North Orissa University for his unparalleled role and contribution to the world of Indian Classical Music - 2009

Books

 * Official biography "Woodwinds of Change" by Surjit Singh - 2008
 * 'Hariprasad Chaurasia and the Art of Improvisation', by Henri Tournier

Discography
These are major albums released by Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, categorized by release dates.2

1967 1978 1981 1984 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2003
 * Call of the Valley with Shivkumar Sharma and Brij Bhushan Kabra
 * Krishnadhwani 60
 * Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia - Flute
 * Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia - Flute (different set of ragas,same album name)
 * Morning to Midnight Ragas - Morning Ragas
 * Call of the Valley
 * Venu
 * Live in Ahmedabad '89
 * Immortal Series
 * Megh Malhar
 * Night Ragas
 * Live in Amsterdam '92
 * Morning to Midnight Ragas - Afternoon Ragas
 * All time Favourites
 * Live from Sawai Gandharva Music Festival - Video (VHS)
 * Raga-s DU Nord Et Du Sud
 * Immortal Series - Flute Fantasia
 * Indian Classical Masters
 * Daylight Ragas
 * Flute - Hariprasad Chaurasia
 * Thumri - The Music of Love
 * In A Mellow Mood
 * Possession
 * Immortal Series - Devine Drupad
 * Classic Greats1 - Ideas on Flute
 * In Live Concert
 * Cascades of Hindustani Music
 * Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Sunrise Melody
 * Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Morning Melody
 * Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Midday Melody
 * Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Afternoon Melody
 * Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Evening Melody
 * Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Sunset Melody
 * Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Midnight Melody
 * Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Late Night Melody
 * Hariprasad Chaurasia - Flute
 * Malhar-Chandrika
 * Music 157 - Live in London
 * Music - Flute
 * Great Jugalbandis
 * Music from the world of OSHO - Above & Beyond
 * Prem Yog
 * Written on the Wind
 * Romantic Themes
 * Saptarishi - Live at Siri Fort
 * The Mystical Flute of Hari Prasad Chaurasia
 * Maestro's Choice
 * Basant Bahar
 * Chaurasia's Choice
 * Hari Prasad Chaurasia & his Divine Flute
 * Flute Recital
 * Valley Recalls - In search of Peace, Love and Harmony
 * Krishna's Flute - Master of the Bansuri
 * Classical Encounters - A live Experience with Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia
 * Fabulous Flute
 * Pundit Hari Prasad Chaurasia
 * In Concert - Vancouver, B.C
 * Hariprasad Chaurasia - Flute
 * The Bamboo Flautist of His Generation
 * Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia - Nada in Jerusalem
 * Classical Encounters - A Live Experience with Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia
 * Great Jugalbandis
 * The Golden Collection (Classical)
 * Immortal Essence
 * Golden Raga Collection
 * Bustan Abraham - Fanar (Guest appearance alongside Zakir Hussain)
 * Samarpan-VCD Special 60th Birthday Edition
 * The Charms Companion
 * Morning to Midnight - Morning to Dusk
 * Music for Reiki
 * Jugalbandi
 * Rasdhaara
 * Live Inside Khajuraho
 * Live in New Delhi - '89
 * Golden Raga Collection
 * Musical Titans of India - Jugalbandhi Video (VHS)
 * Pure Joy - Positive Energy Music
 * Music without Boundaries
 * Maaya - Far East
 * Hriday - Cuba
 * Caravan Spain
 * Live Concert at Savai Gandharva Music Festival
 * Gurukul - The Guru shishya Parampara
 * Adi-Ananth
 * Love Divine - Parables of Passion
 * Power & Grace - Live at the Saptak Festival 2001
 * Discovery of Indian Classical Music
 * Flute Duet
 * Flute Deity Hariprasad Chaurasia
 * The Greatest Hits of Hariprasad Chaurasia
 * Salvation - Instrumental Bhajans
 * Sounds of Silence

Albums (release year unknown)
With Zakir Hussain
 * La Flute De Pundit Hariprasad Chaurasia
 * Hariprasad Chaurasia - The Most Celebrated Flautist of India
 * Charm of the Bamboo flute
 * Kalpana - Imagination
 * A Kaleidoscope of various ragas
 * Krishna Utsav
 * Kali - Classical Instrumental
 * Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia - the Living Legend of Flute
 * Moon Light Moods - Flute Recital
 * Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia - The Living Legend of Flute
 * Indian Music
 * HariDhwani
 * Dancing Waters
 * Fusion India - Passage of India Series
 * Being Still
 * Dhammapada - Sacred teaching of Buddha
 * The Charms Companion
 * Eternity
 * Nothing but wind (1988) - Composed by Ilaiyaraaja
 * Making Music (ECM, 1986)

Music for Bollywood films
Along with Pandit Shivkumar Sharma he composed music for
 * Chandni
 * Darr
 * Lamhe
 * Silsila
 * Faasle
 * Vijay
 * Sahibaan

Music for Telugu films
The music for the movie Sirivennela is composed by K. V. Mahadevan which revolves around the role of Pandit Hari Prasad, a blind flautist played by Sarvadaman Banerjee and flute renditions by Hariprasad Chaurasia.

Music for English films
Some of his music is used in Mithaq Kazimi's 16 Days in Afghanistan.