Ulhas Kashalkar

Ulhas Kashalkar, a Hindustani classical vocalist, was born in Nagpur into a family that loved music. His first lessons came from his father, N.D. Kashalkar, who was a lawyer and a trained music enthusiast. He studied music at Nagpur University and completed his post-graduation and continued learning from well-known gurus, including Rajabhau Kogje, P.N. Khardenavis, Ram Marathe, and Gajananrao Joshi. 

He has trained in three major gharanas of Hindustani classical music—Gwalior, Jaipur, and Agra. Because of this, he can sing in different classical styles with great skill. In his performances, he presents well-known ragas with depth and also brings attention to unique traditional ragas that are not often heard today. 

Earlier in his career, he enrolled as a program executive at All India Radio in Mumbai. Since 1993, he has been teaching at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, guiding many young musicians. He is recognized for his controlled yet expressive vocal style, always rooted in classical rules. Experts praise him for remembering different verses of ragas and staying true to the style of each gharana. 

Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar has received honors, including the Padma Shri (2010), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2008), Tansen Samman (2017), and Pt. Omkarnath Thakur Award (2019). Through his concerts and teaching, he continues to keep the traditions of Hindustani classical music alive for future generations.