Sanjeev Abhyankar

Pandit Sanjeev Abhyankar, the maestro from the Mewati Gharana, is an artist of international acclaim in the field of Hindustani Classical and Devotional Music. Born on 5 October 1969 in Pune, India, into a musical family, he showed exceptional talent from the age of three. His mother, Dr. Shobha Abhyankar, a musicologist and teacher of the Mewati Gharana, became his first guru when he began formal training at age eight. Simultaneously, he trained under Pandit Gangadharbua Pimpalkhare of the Gwalior Gharana, who was also his mother's guru.

The turning point in Sanjeev's life came when his mother, who had begun learning from Pandit Jasraj, expressed her desire that Sanjeev follow suit. Pandit Jasraj agreed to take him on as a disciple after listening to him. Sanjeev then underwent rigorous training for ten years (1984–1994) in the tradition of Guru Shishya Parampara, staying with Jasrajji and accompanying him on tours, absorbing the knowledge by becoming part of his family.

In 1981, at the age of eleven, he rendered his first stage performance in Mumbai, surprising audiences with a two-hour recital. Since then, he has traveled extensively across India and internationally, performing in prestigious conferences and art circles in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East — a distinction of over 200 different cities worldwide. He has recorded over 60 solo albums and has won numerous accolades, including the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer in 1999 for the song 'Suno Re Bhaila' in the Hindi film Godmother, and the Kumar Gandharva National Award 2009 from the Government of Madhya Pradesh for sustained excellence in Classical Arts.