Pt. Birju Maharaj was an Indian dancer, composer, singer, and exponent of the Lucknow “Kalka-Bindadin” Gharana of Kathak dance in India. He was a descendant of the Maharaj family of Kathak dancers, which includes his two uncles, Shambhu Maharaj and Lachhu Maharaj, and his father and Guru, Acchan Maharaj. For many years, along with his uncle, Shambhu Maharaj, he learnt and taught at Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra and later the Kathak Kendra, New Delhi. Birju Maharaj is a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour which was conferred on him in 1986. At the onset of reviving Kathak as a classical dance form, a task taken up by Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, Pt. Birju Maharaj became the Institute’s very first student.

Pandit Jasraj was an Indian classical vocalist, belonging to the Mewati Gharana. His musical profession spanned 75 years and earned him country-wide and worldwide fame, recognition, and accolades. His legacy consists of memorable performances of classical and semi-classical vocal music, classical and devotional music, albums and movie soundtracks etc. Pt. Jasraj also taught music to college students in India, Europe, Canada, and the United States.

Guru Mayadhar Raut was an Indian classical Odissi dancer, choreographer, and Guru. He has played a major role in giving Odissi its classical ‘shastra’ based status. Guru Mayadhar Raut has been honoured with the Padma Shri by the President of India, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Sahitya Kala Parishad Award, Utkal Pratibha Puraskar, Odissi Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Rajeev Gandhi Samman, Kavi Samrat Upendra Bhanja Award, and the Tagore Akademi Ratna.

Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia was an Indian music director and Hindustani classical flautist (who plays the flute). He is an internationally acclaimed flautist who is a very popular and eminent artiste par excellence, known for his outstanding contribution in popularising Indian Classical Music all over the world. Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia has received various accolades, including the Padma Vibhushan, Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan Award, and Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship Award, among many others.

Vidushi Kishori Amonkar was a leading Indian classical vocalist from the Jaipur Gharana. She was a performer of the classical genre, Khyal, and the light classical genres, Thumri and Bhajan. She trained under her mother, classical singer Mogubai Kurdikar but also experimented with a variety of vocal styles in her career. Vidushi Kishori Amonkar was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 1987 and Padma Vibhushan in 2002. She was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1985 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 2009, among many others.

Vidushi Girija Devi was an Indian classical singer of the Seniya and Banaras Gharanas. She performed Classical and Light Classical Music and made a visible contribution to help elevate and celebrate the profile of Thumri. The impact of Vidushi Girija Devi’s work has been recognised many times. She received the Padma Shri (1972), Padma Bhushan (1989), Padma Vibhushan (2016), Maha Sangeet Samman Award (2012), and many others.

Vidushi Kumudini Lakhia was an Indian Kathak dancer and choreographer, primarily based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. She founded the Kadamb School of Dance and Music, an institute of Indian dance and music, in 1967. A pioneer in modern-day Kathak dance, Vidushi Kumudini Lakhia is credited for shifting away from the solo structure of Kathak in the 1960s and turning it into a team spectacle. She also considerably improved traditional stories and evolved them into modern-day storylines for a Kathak repertoire.

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan is an Indian classical sarod player, best known for his clear and fast ekhara taans. He belongs to the lineage of Tansen, the magical musician at the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. Ustad Amjad Ali Khan was born into a classical musical family and has performed nationally and internationally to packed houses. He has been awarded India’s second highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2001, among many others.