Rajendra Prasanna

Rajendra Prasanna (राजेन्द्र प्रसन्ना; born 15 April 1956) is an Indian classical flautist and shehnai (Indian oboe) player from Benares Gharana.^[1]

Rajendra Prasanna
Rajendra Prasanna playing at Womad festival Australia
Background information
Born	(1956-04-15) 15 April 1956 (age 69) Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Genres	Indian classical music
Occupation(s)	Instrumentalist, composer
Instrument(s)	Bansuri, shehnai

Career

Rajendra was born in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. He learnt music from his father Raghunath Prasanna and from his uncles Bholanath Prasanna and Vishnu Prasanna. His family moved to Delhi in the early seventies, and he later became the disciple of Hafeez Ahmed Khan and Sarfaraz Hussain Khan. He also took lessons from singer Mahadev Mishra of Benares Gharana.

Performances

He performed at the Edinburgh festival (UK), Sydney Opera House, WOMAD Festival (Australia, New Zealand),^[2] World Music festival for the golden jubilee celebration for India's Independence held in America, Canada and Switzerland (U.N.O. Headquarters) in 1997, Concert for George in London (Ravi Shankar project), Opera de Lyon in France. ^[3]

Rajendra Prasanna playing shehnai

Awards and honors

• Top Grade Artist of All India Radio
• Rajendra was the recipient of various awards and honors including the Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Academy Award - Flute & Shehnai (1995)
• Grammy Award certificate for his participation in "Concert for George" in 2004.
• Lifetime Achievement Award by Sahara India.
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award - Hindustani Instrumental - Shehnai / Flute 2017. ^[4]

Discography

• Indian Classical Music by Rajendra Prasanna - T-Series
• Flute Fantasy
• Colors of life
• Tribute to Pt. Raghunath Prasanna
• Nirmal Sangeet
• Ghoomar
• Enchanting of Himalayas
• A tribute to Ustad Bismillah Khan (Shehnai) - 2006^[5]