Kumar Bose

In 2026, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, for his distinguished service to the arts.

• Name — Kumar Bose • Born — 4 April 1953 • Origin — Kolkata, West Bengal, India • Instrument — Tabla • Genre — Hindustani classical music • Occupation — classical musician, composer

Bose was born in Kolkata in a musical family. His father, Biswanath Bose, a tabla player, taught him his first lessons in rhythm. His mother Vidushi Bharati Bose was a sitarist and disciple of Dabir Khan and Ali Akbar Khan Bharati received several awards in her career, including recognition as an All India Radio Artist and the President's Award for Best Sitar Performance in 1956. She guided her son with the basic forms of classical music and helped him to groom himself into professional tabla player. His brother Acharya Jayanta Bose is an internationally reputed composer, lyrist, harmonium soloist, tabla player and singer, while his brother Debojyoti Bose is a sarod player and music director.

Bose's first teacher was his father. After his father's death, he was taught by Padma Vibhushan Pandit Kishan Maharaj (Varanasi) (1923–2008).

Bose gave his first public performance at the age of 4. By 14, he performed abroad and has played at almost every major music halls in the world since. He has performed at the Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican Centre in London, the Kremlin in Moscow, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Carnegie Hall in New York, and at various venues throughout India. In addition to that, Kumar Bose performed at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Canada in 2019 for the Raag-Mala Music Society of Toronto.

• Padma Shri, 2026, for his distinguished service to the arts. • Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, 2007, in recognition of his contributions to music. • Banga Bibhushan, received from the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee. • Sankat Mochan Award and Vidya Vachaspati from Varanasi. • Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award, presented by Lata Mangeshkar.