Naren Budhakar

Naren Budhakar was born in Pune, India, into a Brahmin family that valued knowledge and tradition. His grandfather was his first Sanskrit teacher, instilling a deep appreciation for Indian culture from an early age. Born and brought up in the Indian classical music tradition, Naren began performing tabla at a young age. He is a disciple of tabla maestro Ustad Shabbir Nisar, and has also studied under Shri Aditya Khandwe, a virtuoso vocalist of the Gwalior style. Naren has played with prominent instrumentalists, vocalists, and dancers including Pandit Birju Maharaj, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Jasraj, and Shahid Parvez. He performed with the acclaimed Alvin Ailey Dance Company and with international artists including Bobby McFerrin and Alicia Keys. He has appeared at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Getty Museum, and the Indian Ambassador's residence. Naren is co-director of the East-West School of Music at Ananda Ashram in Monroe, New York, where he teaches and performs regularly, bridging Indian classical music and Western musical traditions.