Ashwani Shankar

Ashwani Shankar, born on November 21, 1982 in Delhi, is a leading exponent of the shehnai in Hindustani classical music. He was born into the celebrated Benares gharana, a lineage of musicians in which shehnai and flute have been played for over 450 years. His father, the internationally acclaimed shehnai artist Pt. Daya Shankar, nurtured his talent from an early age, while his grandfather, the legendary shehnai virtuoso Pt. Anant Lal, provided further training in both shehnai and vocal music. Ashwani also received guidance from the iconic Pt. Ravi Shankar.

Together with his brother Sanjeev Shankar, Ashwani has performed extensively across the globe, popularizing the ancient art of shehnai playing. Their music is a blend of traditional classical music with a modern approach. The duo has been honored with the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the Aditya Vikram Birla Kalakiran Award for their contributions to Indian classical music.