Mumbai
Upcoming Events
Strings & Sing is a Hindustani classical concert featuring Ustad Shujaat Khan and Maestro Talat Aziz, bringing together ...
About Mumbai
Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, holds a distinctive place in the field of Hindustani music. In contrast to hereditary centres of power such as Gwalior or Agra, Mumbai rose as a "Metropolitan Melting Pot" where classical music shifted from royal courts to public venues. By the late nineteenth century, the city's growing mercantile prosperity and the advent of the railways attracted displaced court musicians in search of new patrons. This migration created an urban musical culture distinguished by both technical discipline and cosmopolitan openness.
Mumbai is notably the home of the Bhendi Bazaar Gharana, established in the 1890s by three brothers, Chaman Ali Khan, Jan Ali Khan, and Shavir Khan, who migrated from Moradabad. This gharana is recognised for its distinctive use of "Meend" (glissando) and emphasis on breath control, enabling vocalists to perform extended, uninterrupted melodic passages. The city also served as a refuge for the Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana, with prominent artists such as Kesarbai Kerkar and Mogubai Kurdikar achieving prominence within Mumbai's energetic cultural environment. These musicians, together with the "Naikins" (hereditary female performers), transformed neighbourhoods like Girgaon and Grant Road into prominent venues for classical music performance.
Mumbai's emergence as the birthplace of the Indian film industry and Marathi Sangeet Natak (musical theatre) further deepened its classical music heritage. Renowned maestros such as Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and Ustad Amir Khan spent considerable periods in Mumbai, where the requirements of recording studios and theatrical productions demanded heightened exactness and broader popular appeal. The city also played a pioneering role in music education through institutions such as the Parsi Gayan Uttejak Mandali and the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, which transitioned the Guru-Shishya tradition into a formal classroom setting accessible to the middle class for the first time.
Currently, Mumbai serves as the administrative centre of Indian classical music. The city is home to the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) and hosts prominent festivals such as Janfest and the Gunidas Sangeet Sammelan. Mumbai continues to be the intersection where a musician's "Gharana" identity converges with the city's distinctive work ethic, producing a performance style that is both intellectually rigorous and highly refined. From the grand auditoriums of Nariman Point to the intimate baithaks of suburban Dadar, Mumbai remains central to India's flourishing musical heritage.
Cultural Significance
Highlights
Total Events
25
Upcoming Events
1
Venues
12
Artists
24
Last updated: September 5, 2026
Past Events
Anhad – Day 2 Classical Music Concert at NCPA Experimental Theatre, Mumbai
Pandit Wamanrao Sadolikar Memorial Concert 2026 – Mumbai
Karna: Bound by Fate – Mumbai Premiere Featuring Shweta Prachande, Rudrakshya Foundation & Vaibhav Arekar
Sur & Saaz – Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar and Purbayan Chatterjee at Nehru Centre, Mumbai (2026)
Sampradaya: A Duet Kathak Recital by Marami Medhi & Meghranjani Medhi at NCPA
Samanvay – A Grand Musical Confluence of Carnatic and Hindustani Traditions
NCPA Dance Residency: Learning Bandish with Aditi Mangaldas
Raageet: Priyani Vani Panditt Live in Concert
NCPA Dance Residency: Kathak & Contemporary Fusion by Aditi Mangaldas
An Evening of Classical Dance: Indira Kadambi & Vaidehi Parashurami Live at Experimental Theatre
OJAS Kathak & Bharatanrithyam by Nirupama Rajendra at NMACC
An Enchanting Night of Pure Ragas: Pt. Rupak Kulkarni, Pt. Kala Ramnath & Pt. Mithilesh Kumar Jha
The Backstage Process: Interactive Talk & Production Insights at NCPA
Hindustani Music Workshop & Masterclass by Padma Bhushan Pt. Ajoy Chakrabarty
Shades of Desi Folk: A Vibrant Traditional & Contemporary Journey
Marvel of Jugalbandi: Sitar & Sarod Duet by Mohan Brothers at NMACC, Mumbai
Maestro Meets Legend: A Historic Confluence of Sandeep Mahavir & Hariharan Live at Shanmukhananda Hall
Sitaro Shatam: Guru Vandana Samaroh Honouring Pt. Arvind Parikh at Shanmukhananda Auditorium
Dhruva Swar – A Tribute to Sarangi Maestro Pt. Dhruva Ghosh at Sangit Mahabharati, Mumbai
Dhruva Swar: A Tribute to Pt. Dhruva Ghosh featuring Shantanu Gokhale and Anubhab Khamaru | 4 July
Dhruva Swar: A Tribute to Pt. Dhruva Ghosh featuring Swar Sharma and Amaan Hussain | 5 July
Classicool: A Classical Fusion Concert at Aditya Birla Theatre
Ghan Garaje: A Monsoon Evening of Ragas with Arati Ankalikar-Tikekar
Venues in Mumbai
shri shivaji mandir
Theatre
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Mumbai
Auditorium
Aditya Birla Theatre
Theatre
Savarkar Auditorium
Auditorium
Third Bell Studios
Cultural Center
Jamshed Bhabha Theatre
Theatre
Dadar Matunga Cultural Center
Cultural Center
Artists from Mumbai
Ankita Joshi
Vocal
Ankita Joshi is an accomplished Hindustani classical vocalist and one of the foremost disciples of Pandit Jasraj of the Mewati Gharana.
Saylee Tawalkar
Vocal
Saylee Talwalkar is an emerging Hindustani classical vocalist known for her clear sur and sensitive raga development.
Manas Kumar
Violin
A widely acclaimed Hindustani classical violinist based in Mumbai, who holds a TOP grade from All India Radio and performs globally.
Upagna Pandya
Vocal
Upagna Pandya has been trained in vocal music under Smt Kaumudi Munshi, one of the best vocalists of Gujarati sugam sangeet. Upagna performs gujarati sugam sangeet and folk music across the country and abroad.
Amit Kavthekar
Tabla
Amit Kavthekar (born 11 August 1984) is a distinguished Indian tabla player and a leading artist in Hindustani classical music.
Megha Rawoot
Sitar
Megha Rawoot is a Mumbai based sitar player. Currently she is a disciple of Sitar Maestro Purbayan Chatterjee. She has been playing sitar since 2009.
Priyani Vani Panditt
Vocal
Priyani Vani Panditt is an Indian playback singer, performer, composer, and vocal coach known for blending Indian classical music with contemporary and film-based melodies.
Jaidev Kumar
Tabla
Jaidev Kumar is an Indian music composer and producer known for Punjabi films and albums. He has created hit music for artists like Harbhajan Mann and Gurdas Maan.
Shruti Bhave
Violin
Shruti Bhave is a skilled Indian classical violinist and vocalist from Mumbai, India. Shruti was born into a musical family and trained from a young age as a singer before taking up the violin.
Aman Ali Khan
Vocal
Aman Ali Khan was a renowned Hindustani classical singer of the Bhendibazaar gharana, known for sargam singing, rhythmic skill, and blending Carnatic influences.
Ashok Patki is an Indian music director and composer; working predominantly in Marathi cinema, theatre and television. He is best known for his very popular compositions like "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara", "Purab Se Surya Uga".
Mahalakshmi Iyer
Vocal
Mahalakshmi Iyer is an Indian playback singer, best known for her Hindi, Assamese and Tamil songs. She has sung in many other Indian languages as well, including Telugu, Marathi, Bengali, Odia, Gujarati and Kannada.
V. Balsara
Piano
V. Balsara was a versatile Indian pianist, composer, and arranger who blended Indian and Western music. He worked in films and created over 200 albums.
Madhukar T. Dhumal
Shehnai
Madhukar Dhumal is a noted shehnai maestro from Mumbai, known for Hindustani classical music and film work, blending tradition with fusion and global collaborations.
Prashant Salil
Santoor
Prashant Salil is a Mumbai-based Santoor maestro and composer. A disciple of Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma, he blends classical mastery with Bollywood collaborations and Indo-jazz fusion music.
Vaibhav Arekar
Bharatanatyam
Vaibhav Arekar is a Bharatanatyam soloist, choreographer, and teacher known for his intense style and innovative works that connect classical tradition with contemporary expression.
Abhay Datar
Tabla
Abhay Datar is a Mumbai-based tabla artist known for Hindustani accompaniment, performing with vocalists and instrumentalists across concerts, festivals, and classical events.
Nityanand Haldipur
Bansuri (Flute)
Pandit Nityanand Haldipur is a leading Hindustani bansuri artist of the Maihar gharana, a disciple of Annapurna Devi, known for alap, jod, and global performances.
Wamanrao Sadolikar
Vocal
Pandit Wamanrao Sadolikar was a Hindustani vocalist of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, known for khayal, natya sangeet, and his contributions as a performer, teacher, and composer.
Vinod Rathod is a Bollywood singer known for hits like “Aisi Deewangi,” singing for stars like Shah Rukh Khan, and for his versatile playback and dubbing work.
Ranjit Barot is an Indian drummer, composer, and music director known for jazz fusion, film scores, and collaborations with A.R. Rahman and global artists across genres.
Ravi Chary
Sitar
Ravi Chary is a sitarist from Goa, known for classical and world music collaborations, solo performances, compositions, and training under leading Hindustani music maestros.
Arnab Chakrabarty
Sarod
Arnab Chakrabarty is an Indian sarod player born in 1980 in Mumbai. A disciple of Buddhadev Das Gupta, he blends tradition and innovation and performs internationally.
Dhruba Ghosh
Sarangi
Dhruba Ghosh (1957–2017), a Mumbai-based sarangi maestro, elevated the instrument as a solo form. Son of Nikhil Ghosh, he trained under Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.