Hariprasad Chaurasia

He later became a disciple of Annapurna Devi of the Maihar gharana. Alongside his classical career he worked extensively as a studio flautist, formed the film-composing partnership Shiv-Hari with santoor player Shivkumar Sharma producing notable filmscores like Silsila (1981) and Chandni (1989). He also collaborated with musicians including George Harrison, Zakir Hussain, John McLaughlin and Jan Garbarek. He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 1992 and India's second higest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan in 2000. In 2011 he was elected a Fellow of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, its highest honour.

Chaurasia was born in Allahabad (present day Prayagraj) in the United Provinces (present Uttar Pradesh). His mother died when he was six years old, after which he was brought up by his father, Chhedilal Pehelwan, who was a professional wrestler.< and his elder sister. He had to learn music without his father's knowledge, as his father wanted him to become a wrestler. Chaurasia did go to the Akhada and trained with his father for some time, although he also started learning stenography and Hindustani vocal music from his neighbour, Pandit Rajaram at the age of 15. Later, he switched to playing the flute under the tutelage of Bholanath Prasanna of Varanasi for eight years. He has stated, "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."

Chaurasia first worked as a stenographer in Allahabad while continuing to practise music privately. He joined the All India Radio, Cuttack, Odisha in 1957 and worked as a composer and performer. This relocation helped him him to leave Allahabad and pursue music as a profession. Here after working four year he was transferred to Mumbai. Much later, while working for All India Radio, he received guidance from the reclusive surbahar player Annapurna Devi of Maihar gharana, daughter of Baba Allaudin Khan. She only agreed to teach him if he was willing to unlearn all that he had learnt until then. Another version is that she only agreed to teach him after he took the decision to switch from right-handed to left-handed playing to show her his commitment. In any case Chaurasia plays left-handed to this day. In 1967, Chaurasia, santoor player Shivkumar Sharma and slide guitarist Brij Bhushan Kabra recorded the instrumental album Call of the Valley, it marked the beginning of Chaurasia's long professional association with Sharma. The album was widely circulated in India and abroad and became one of the best-known recordings associated with the three musicians, and a milestone in world music. AllMusic reviewer Ken Hunt advises that "If the newcomer buys only one Indian classical recording, it should be "Call of the Valley"." It is listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Starting 1970s, in a career stretching over six decades, Chaurasia toured locally and internationally extensively, as a soloist and in jugalbandi performances, performing at venues like Carnegie Hall, the Royal Albert Hall and the Kremlin.

He has collaborated with several western musicians, including John McLaughlin, Jan Garbarek, and Ken Lauber, and has composed music for Indian films. Chaurasia also played on The Beatles' 1968 B-side "The Inner Light", which was written by George Harrison. He also played with George Harrison on his first solo release, Wonderwall Music, and with Harrison, Ravi Shankar and others on the Dark Horse Records release Shankar Family & Friends (1974). In December 1986 he recorded Making Music (1987) with tabla player Zakir Hussain, guitarist John McLaughlin and Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek, it featured improvisations both in Hindustani and European music. In 1997, Chaurasia participated in the revived version of John McLaughlin's Indo-jazz group Shakti, known as Remember Shakti, and took part in its series of concerts in the United Kingdom.

Chaurasia's playing is known for its lyrical, voice-like quality and for bringing the bansuri into the extended form of Hindustani classical music, with detailed alap, jor and jhala. An key influence on his style was his training under Annapurna Devi of the Maihar gharana. As she was not a flute player, she taught him by singing the musical phrases and ideas she wanted him to learn, which Chaurasia then reproduced on the flute. Chaurasia later explained that this taught him to think of the flute simply as a medium for expressing music, rather than limiting himself to techniques specific to the instrument. Through continued experimentation, he expanded the expressive range of the bansuri while retaining an emphasis on melody, emotion and the development of the raga. The Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National academy for Performing arts, credited him with evolving a distinctive style of flute playing and establishing himself among India's leading classical musicians. His melodic approach also helped make his music accessible to audiences beyond specialist classical music listeners. Although his career has included film music and collaborations with jazz and world music musicians, Chaurasia has maintained that experimentation should remain grounded in a strong understanding of classical music.

Chaurasia has married twice, first to Kamala Devi, whom he married around 1957. His second marriage after a few years, was with Anuradha Roy, a classical vocalist who he met while working a AIR Cuttack. He has three sons. With first wife Kamala Devi he has two sons, Vinay and Ajay. With Anuradha, Chaurasia has a son named Rajeev. Chaurasia has five granddaughters and a grandson. Kamala Devi died in her early forties after a period of illness. In 2010, the chronology of Chaurasia's two marriages became the subject of a legal dispute, when his sons Vinay and Ajay Chaurasia, from his marriage to Kamala Devi, filed a defamation suit in Bombay High Court (Vinay Kumar Chaurasia & Anr. v. Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia & 3 Ors.) against Chaurasia and biographer Surjit Singh, alleging that the authorised biography Woodwinds of Change misrepresented the order of his marriages by suggesting that he married Kamala after Anuradha "Angurbala" Roy, which they argued implied that they were illegitimate. They sought ₹1 lakh in token damages and an injunction against further publication of the biography; the Bombay High Court declined to grant an interim restraint in March 2010, although the suit continued. The family dispute resurfaced in 2013 after the release of the documentary Bansuri Guru, directed by Chaurasia's son Rajeev Chaurasia. Vinay Chaurasia criticised the film for omitting his mother Kamala Devi, meanwhile their previous their lawsuit concerning Woodwinds of Change still continued. In 2026, The Indian Express similarly noted that the biographical musical Bansuri Jab Gaane Lage, written by Chaurasia's daughter-in-law Pushpanjali and produced by Rajeev, portrayed several women important to his life but omitted Kamala Devi and their two sons. His nephew Rakesh Chaurasia is also a flautist and carrying forward the family legacy.

The 2013 documentary film Bansuri Guru features the life and legacy of Chaurasia and was directed by the musician's son Rajeev Chaurasia and produced by the Films Division Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. A 2026 stage musical Bansuri Jab Gaane Lage based on his life and career was produced by his family members.

These are major albums released by Hariprasad Chaurasia 1967 Call of the Valley with Shivkumar Sharma and Brij Bhushan Kabra 1978 Krishnadhwani 60 1981 Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia - Flute 1984 Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia - Flute (different set of ragas, same album name) 1987 Morning to Midnight Ragas - Morning Ragas 1988 Nothing But Wind - Composed by the renowned musician "Isaignani" Ilaiyaraaja Call of the Valley 1989 Venu Live in Ahmedabad '89 1990 Immortal Series 1991 Megh Malhar 1992 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 1993 Indian Classical Masters Daylight Ragas Flute - Hariprasad Chaurasia Soundscapes - Music of the Rivers - Hari Prasad Chaurasia 1994 Thumri - The Music of Love In A Mellow Mood Possession Immortal Series - Devine Drupad Classic Greats1 - Ideas on Flute 1995 In Live Concert Cascades of Hindustani Music Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia - 4 am to 7 am Raga Bhairava: Integration Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia - 7 am to 10 am Raga Gurjari Todi: Compassion Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia - 10 am to 1 pm Raga Vrindavani Saranga: Greater Energy Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia - 1 pm to 4 pm Raga Multani: Affuence Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia - 4 pm to 7 pm Raga Marwa: Coherence Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia - 7 pm to 10 pm Raga Desh: Joy Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia - 10 pm to 1 am Raga Abhogi: Peaceful Slumber Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia - 1 am to 4 am Raga Sindhu Bhairavi: Gentleness 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 1996 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 1997 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) 1998 Samarpan-VCD Special 60th Birthday Edition The Charms Companion Morning to Midnight - Morning to Dusk Music for Reiki 1999 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 2000 Music without Boundaries Maaya - Far East Hriday - Cuba Caravan Spain Live Concert at Savai Gandharva Music Festival Gurukul - The Guru shishya Parampara 2001 Adi-Ananth Love Divine - Parables of Passion Power & Grace - Live at the Saptak Festival 2001 Discovery of Indian Classical Music Flute Duet 2003 Flute Deity Hariprasad Chaurasia The Greatest Hits of Hariprasad Chaurasia Salvation - Instrumental Bhajans Sounds of Silence 2015 Ajanma - Hariprasad Chaurasia (Solo album) Year unknown 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 Water Fusion India - Passage of India Series Being Still Dhammapada - Sacred teaching of Buddha The Charms Companion Eternity Nothing but wind (1988) - Composed by Ilaiyaraaja With Zakir Hussain Making Music (ECM, 1986) Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia - 4 am to 7 am Raga Bhairava Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia - 7 am to 10 am Raga Jaita Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia - 10 am to 1 pm Raga Ahir Lalita Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia - 1 pm to 4 pm Raga Samanta Saranga Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia - 4 pm to 7 pm Raga Puriya Dhanashri Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia - 7 pm to 10 pm Raga Maru Bihaga Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia - 10 pm to 1 am Raga Gunji Kanada Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia - 1 am to 4 am Raga Shuddha Vasanta Contributing artist The Rough Guide to the Music of India and Pakistan (World Music Network, 1996)

Along with Shivkumar Sharma he composed music for: Silsila (1981) Faasle (1985) Vijay (1988) Chandni (1989) Lamhe (1991) Parampara (1993) Darr (1993) Sahibaan (1993)

The music for the film Sirivennela (1986) was composed by K. V. Mahadevan which revolves around the role of Hari Prasad, a blind flautist played by Sarvadaman Banerjee and flute renditions by Chaurasia.

Some of his music was used in Mithaq Kazimi's 16 Days in Afghanistan (2007).

Vasudev, Uma (2005). Hariprasad Chaurasia: Romance of the Bamboo Reed. Shubhi Publications. ISBN 978-81-8290-042-4. Singh, Surjit (2008). Woodwinds of Change: The Authorized Biography of Padmavibhushan Hariprasad Chaurasia. Richa's Enterprise. ISBN 978-81-906927-0-0. Tournier, Henri (2010). Hariprasad Chaurasia et l'art de l'improvisation: Découverte pas à pas de la musique de l'Inde du Nord. Accords Croisés–Harmonia Mundi. Tournier, Henri. Hariprasad Chaurasia and the Art of Improvisation* Saran, Sathya (2019). Breath of Gold: Hariprasad Chaurasia. Penguin. Singh, Surjit (2010).Bansuri Samrat: Hariprasad Chaurasia (Hindi). Prabhat Prakashan. ASIN:B071XMLL7F.