Uday Bhawalkar is among the foremost Dhrupad vocalists and has been a strong force in its growing recognition, popularity and resurgence, worldwide. He’s a disciple of Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar (vocal) and Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar (Rudra-Veena), the towering pillars of the Dhrupad tradition. Uday believes that when immersed in the note and raga, the self dissolves and only the music remains.

Uday has an engaging style and is able to reach out and communicate with audiences of all backgrounds. He has widely performed in the UK , Europe, USA, Canada, Mexico, Singapore, Japan, Israel, Morocco, Bangladesh, and Nepal. He has also collaborated with artists from other disciplines and cultures, and has contributed to the soundtracks for international arts films.

He has taught internationally at institutions such as the Rotterdam Music Conservatory, The University of Washington, Seattle and the Asian music circuit, London, to name a few. He is a Guru at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy at Kolkata, BengalFoundation’s” Parampara Sangeetalay”, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

In recognition for his artistry, he has received many prestigious awards including the Kumar Gandharva Samman (2001), the Raza Foundation Award (2007), the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2021), Kalidas Samman (2022), and the Hanumant Award (2023).

Pratap Awad has received his training in the Pakhawaj from Pandit Subhash Maharaj Deshmukh, Pandit Uddhav Aapegaonkar, Pandit Vasantrao Ghorpadkar, and Pt. Arvind kumar Azad. Currently, Pratap is taking training from Talyogi Pt. Suresh Talwalkar

Pratap has had many solo performances and is a vibrant accompanist for many Dhrupad musicians and instrumentalists, both in India and abroad. He has performed at prestigious festivals in India, USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Japan, Singapore, Israel, and Bangladesh. Pratap received the Government of Maharashtra scholarship (2004), National Scholarship (2011), and awards like First prize in All India Radio competition (2007), Talmani Puraskar (2008), National Gold Medal (2010), Yashwanth Rao Chavan Yuva Sangeet Sanman (2017), and Kala Govrav Sanman (2019).