Shashank Subramanyam

Shashank Subramanyam is a Carnatic bamboo flautist born on October 14, 1978, in the extraordinarily musical village of Rudrapatna, Karnataka. Born to a biochemist father, he could reportedly recognize all 72 Melakarta scales by the age of two-and-a-half. He took to the flute at age six and by 1990 was performing on the top concert circuits in India and abroad.

His career-defining moment came when The Music Academy, Chennai invited him to perform the prestigious "Sadas concert" on January 1, 1991, making him just 12 years old at the time. He has since been recognized as one of the greatest living Carnatic flautists, having introduced and popularized the innovative Multi Flute Fingering technique.

Shashank has performed in over 50 countries and his accolades include a Grammy nomination (2009), the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the Government of France (2022), the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award from the Government of India (2017, youngest recipient in the senior category), and the Kalaimamani from the Government of Tamil Nadu (2001).