About Shri Himanshu Nanda

I inherited a love for music from my grandfather, whose poems and songs on nature inspired me to tune in to music at a young age. I heeded the call of the Bansuri – Hindustani Bamboo Flute – and my formal training began when I was fourteen years old, under the guidance of Shri Narendra Panda and Shri Padma Charana Patra, in my home state of Odisha, India.

Beginning

Advanced Training

Destiny led me to the feet of Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasiaji, the legendary flute maestro and deserving recipient of the prestigious Padma Vibhushan award, under whose strict but loving guidance spanning thirteen years, I was rigorously trained in the finest nuances of the Maihar Gharana on Bansuri.

I had the great fortune of receiving a student scholarship and being one of the first students to live and learn at Panditji’s Vrindavan Gurukul in Mumbai, an incredible experience that transformed my entire perception of Hindustani Classical Music and brought me closer to silence, the source of all music.

My close association with the Chinmaya Mission afforded me the privilege of interacting with Pujya Swami Tejomayananda – then the Global Head of the Chinmaya Mission – and I was blessed, not only to witness his unceasing compassion, love, and guidance, but also to taste the nectar of his finest discourses on Vedanta.

Under Swamiji’s esteemed patronage, I became an instrument in starting Chinmaya Swaranjali – the music wing of the Mission – and in conceiving the Chinmaya Naada Bindu Gurukula for Performing Arts, of which I was the “Vision Director – Music,” from 2009 to 2019.

I have also been a dedicated practitioner of Kriya Yoga, under the able guidance of Paramahamsa Atmanandaji, since 1995, when I was initiated into the amazing, mystical, yet scientific, meditation technique, at the age of nineteen.

Naada Bindu, Vedanta, and Kriya Yoga

Student for Life

Hailing from a family of teachers has imbibed in me a deep respect for academic study and my desire for keeping the lamp of knowledge always lit is the fourth guiding force of my life, in addition to music, meditation and Vedanta.

My academic qualifications include the following:

Master’s Degree in Music;
Sangeet Visharad;
Bachelor’s Degree in Biology;
Bachelor’s Degree in Education;
Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Science;
Introduction to Time-series Analysis – Credit Course;
Deep Learning for Biomedical Data Analysis – Credit Course;
Healing with Arts – Certificate Course;
Autism Spectrum Disorder – Certificate Course; and
Philosophy of Cognitive Sciences – Certificate Course

During the course of my advanced training under Pt. Hariprasadji, I got the privilege of accompanying Panditji on many a prestigious occasion across India. I’ve also had the opportunity of performing solo concerts in India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Japan, Dubai, Bahrain, Kenya, South Africa, Germany, Holland, France, the UK, and the USA, including a 17-city tour of the USA in 2014 and a 13-city tour of Europe in 2019.

Unique Performance Opportunities

Residential and Online Courses

A deep conviction to spread Pt. Hariprasadji’s music, combined with a passion for mentoring and teaching, led me to design short-term residential intensives, which have proved extremely popular among the bansuri fraternity.

I have also designed ‘The Mystic Bamboo’ series of online courses, which have made available detailed bansuri lessons to thousands of eager students across the globe, with curated lessons that are tailored according to each student’s skill level.

“Music isn’t just a means to entertain, It nourishes the soul, like quenching rain, A way of life, music is to me, An essential part of my identity.

A seeker of Sangeet is who I am, My aim? To perform the best that I can, And spread the teaching of my Guruji, An essential part of my identity.

The source of music is silence indeed, Like vibrations need a hollow bamboo reed, Inseparable am I from my Bansuri, An essential part of my identity.”

Identity

My Gurus

"Shri Mohini Mohan Pattnaik was born on the 23rd of September, 1945, in Puri, Odisha, the sacred land of Lord Jagannath. His Bansuri recitals have enchanted audiences in India and abroad. The devoted guru is credited to have trained more than a hundred students across Odisha. The splendid composer and music director has composed for huge ensembles and orchestras. The recipient of the Govt. of India’s Senior Fellowship in the field of Tribal Flute, as well as the Surmani and Padma Keshari awards, he is currently the President of the Odisha Academy of Tribal Culture Research and Performing Arts."

SHRI MOHINI MOHAN PATNAIK

"Born on 31st of December, 1937, in Bhawanipatna, Odisha, in a background without much scope for music, Shri Padma Charan Patra was initiated into Bansuri through an illustrated letter of guidance from Pandit Pannalal Ghosh. He studied the violin for three years under Guru Shri Bhubaneshwar Mishra, an accomplished violinist at Cuttack Radio Station, before resuming his tryst with the Bansuri after his guru was transferred to Mumbai. Vocal lessons from Shri Kundala Adinaraya also influenced him greatly. He established the Kalahandir Lekhak Kalaparishad, the first music institute of Bhawanipatna."

SHRI PADMA CHARAN PATRA

"Hailing from the small village of Mathura in Junagarh, Odisha, Shri Narendra Panda’s interest in music was cultivated by his father, who played the harmonium for village plays. He studied under Shri Mohini Mohan Pattnaik and Shri Padma Charan Patra, and is a recognized light artist at Doordarshan, Bhawanipatna, and All India Radio, Jeypore. Although a full-time government employee at the Agriculture Department, he is also a splendid accompanist for light music, folk music and drama. A dedicated teacher, he is committed to the task of building the next generation of musicians in his hometown of Bhawanipatna."

SHRI NARENDRA PANDA

"Born in Prayagraj on the 1st of July, 1938, Padma Vibhusan Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, learnt vocal music from his neighbour, Guru Pandit Rajaram, before taking Bansuri lessons from Guru Pandit Bholanath Prassana. He worked at All India Radio, in Cuttack and in Mumbai. He was a disciple of the legendary Maa Annapurna Devi and collaborated with Pandit Shivkumar Sharma Ji. Panditji’s world-famous performances and his contribution to Classical Music through his Vrindavan Gurukuls have earned him the prestigious Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Sangeet Natak Academy awards."

PADMA VIBHUSHAN PT. HARIPRASAD CHAURASIA