Interview | Two-Time Grammy Winner Rakesh Chaurasia On Sharing The Stage With Sitar Maestro Ustad Shujaat Husain Khan And Letting Music Lead Their India Tour
The acclaimed flautist reflects on the rare alchemy that occurs when two masters allow the music to lead onstage.
Published : January 28, 2026 at 4:12 PM IST
As Rakesh Chaurasia lifted his bansuri and Ustad Shujaat Husain Khan settled into the first phrases on the sitar at Jamshed Bhabha Theatre at NCPA in Mumbai, the concert brought together two of India’s most revered maestros. The sold-out evening marked a defining moment in the debut tour of the Strings & Wind intellectual property. Curated by Perfect Harmony Productions and Cisne for Arts, the concert followed a structured two-hour format featuring individual solo presentations by each maestro, culminating in a compelling jugalbandi. This was a day after another packed show with the two artists in Bengaluru for their India tour.
As the nephew and foremost disciple of the late Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, the acclaimed flautist carries a legacy shaped by breath, restraint, and emotional depth. Over the years, he has emerged as one of the foremost exponents of the instrument, performing extensively across India, Europe, the United States, and Asia at major classical music festivals and concert halls. He is a two-time Grammy Award winner, having won Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for Pashto (2024) and Best Global Music Performance for As We Speak the same year.
Sharing the stage with Ustad Shujaat Husain Khan whose gayaki ang and lyrical approach to the sitar have blurred the boundaries between vocal and instrumental music, creates a jugalbandi any lover of Hindustani classical music wouldn't miss. In this conversation with ETV Bharat, Rakesh Chaurasia reflects on the trust that guides their on-stage dialogue, tradition without nostalgia, and the rare alchemy that occurs when two masters allow the music to lead.
Q 1. You carry the musical lineage of Bharat Ratna Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, one of the most revered names in Indian classical music. At what point did you stop feeling the weight of legacy and start feeling the freedom of your own voice on the bansuri?
Rakesh Chaurasia: When I realized that learning is a joy and will always be the way forward for life in classical music, the weight of carrying forward lineage evaporated immediately. Once joy comes in, the weight is off your shoulder. Also all along, I didn't feel I should live upto his legacy since there is no way we can match the phenomenal repertoire created by our guru and legendary masters. All I thought and think about is how I can learn and imbibe the vast knowledge available to me as lineage.
Q 2. You are touring with Ustad Shujaat Khan, who is known for his lyrical sensitivity and emotional depth on the sitar. How would you describe the musical conversation between flute and sitar in this collaboration?
RK: Collaboration always enriches. Sitting alongside Ustad Shujaat Hussain Khan is not just a priviledge but also sheer joy. I am learning from his rich and vast experience. When we played, it almost felt like the flute was merging with the sitar creating an ethereal experience for us and the audiences.
Q 3. When two maestros share a stage, how much of the performance is planned, and how much is surrendered to instinct and spontaneity?
RK: A framework is always there—the raga, the mood, the time—but within that, everything is instinct. When two maestros meet, you listen more than you play. The music unfolds in the moment, guided by trust, sensitivity, and a shared surrender to the raga.
Q 4. An India tour means performing for audiences who are familiar with classical music as well as younger listeners discovering it anew. Does your performance change depending on the city or audience energy?
RK: Every audience has its own rasa. I don’t change the purity of the music, but I do respond to the energy in the hall. Some cities invite introspection, others encourage more openness and playfulness. When listeners—especially younger ones—connect, that shared energy naturally shapes how the raga unfolds.
Q 5. Was there a specific moment when you realised that your relationship with the flute had shifted from disciplined inheritance to personal dialogue?
RK: Yes—there came a moment when practice stopped feeling like obligation and became conversation. I realised I was no longer asking the flute how my guru would play a phrase, but listening to what the raga was asking of me in that moment.
Q 6. The bansuri is often described as the closest instrument to the human breath. How has your understanding of breath evolved over the years?
RK: Over the years, breath has taught me patience and humility. Physically, it became more economical; emotionally, more aware; spiritually, more surrendered. I’ve learnt that the bansuri doesn’t respond to force but to honesty. When the breath is calm and the mind is still, the music begins to breathe on its own.
Q 7. Do you see younger flautists approaching the instrument differently from your generation? Does that give you hope or raise concern?
RK: I see curiosity and fearlessness in younger flautists, which gives me great hope. They have access to more knowledge and influences, but the real test remains the same: depth, patience, and riyaaz. If they stay rooted in discipline while exploring freely, the future of the bansuri is in very good hands. My son Hritik also performed alongside me and received good reviews.
Q 8. If a young musician were to ask you what truly matters in a lifelong relationship with music, what would you tell them: beyond practice and discipline?
RK: I would tell them that devotion, patience, and listening matter even more than notes or technique. Music is a dialogue... with the instrument, with the raga, with yourself. Respect its silence, embrace its mistakes, and let your heart guide your fingers. That is what sustains a lifelong relationship with music.
Q 9. When audiences leave a concert by Rakesh Chaurasia and Ustad Shujaat Khan, what do you hope lingers with them afterwards?
RK: I hope the music lingers in their hearts, leaving a sense of peace, joy, and connection to something timeless.
Catch more shows on Saturday, 14 February 2026 at Shilpa Kala Vedika (Hyderabad); and on Saturday, 21 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, Auditorium 2 (Delhi). Tickets are available on BookMyShow.
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