Who is Aditya Kalyanpur?

Aditya Kalyanpur is an Indian Tabla Maestro born on July 21, 1978, and who is 43 years old. He is part of the Punjab Gharana style of tabla playing, which is strongly influenced by the Pakhawaj. Aditya Kalyanpur was born in Mumbai, India and is also a graduate of Mithibai College and Mumbai University. Kalyanpur is a talented percussionist and tabla player beyond his years, who has catapulted his career to new heights. 

Although Aditya Kalyanpur has been making music since he was 2.5 years old, he began his rise to fame after his performance with guru Zakir Hussain in a Wah Taj! commercial. He was only 11 years old at the time. Aditya Kalyanpur also studied under Zakir Hussain, as well as Hussain’s father, Tabla Maestro Alla Rakha Khan, beginning at age 5. Starting music early in life has clearly paid off for Kalyanpur, as he has been recognized as an “TOP” Grade artist of All India Radio, along with numerous other awards. A man of many talents, Aditya Kalyanpur started a band, Renaissance Heart with Hila Plitmann and Shea Welsh, during the recent pandemic. 

Due to his talent and dedication, Aditya has had the opportunity to perform with many great maestros of Indian classical music including Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, and Dr. Prabha Atre, as well as many others. Kalyanpur’s music can even be heard on Katy Perry’s song Legendary Lovers. Aditya is clearly a global artist, and, in our recent interview, reflects on how “… it’s extremely crucial to think out of the box, embrace all genres, and experiment with all the innumerable possibilities that are out there.” He also participated in A.R. Rahman’s JAI HO World Tour!

Truly a global force for peace and togetherness, Aditya Kalyanpur has continued to introduce tabla to new audiences by performing at festivals all around the world, including Ireland, Scotland, Estonia, and the United States. If you can’t listen to him in person, make sure to check out all of Aditya Kalyanpur’s music on Spotify!