Sameer Rao started his love affair with
Bansuri (the Indian bamboo flute) at the age of eleven. He started to learn
Hindustani classical music, playingon Bansuri under the able and loving guidance
of Pandit Veerabhadriah Hiremath, at Saptaswara Hindustani Music School, and
Swarasankula Hindustani Music School in Mysore.
Sameer was fortunate, and blessed to have
been accepted as a disciple by the world renowned flute wizard Pandit Hari
Prasad Chaurasia and has been under his tutelage since 2002. He was a resident
student of Panditji from 2004 to 2010 at Vrindaban Gurukul, Mumbai that keeps
alive to this day the ancient Guru-Shishya Parampara of the traditional Gurukul
system.
A Hindustani Classical Music Vidwat Degree
holder from the Karnataka Secondary Educational Board, and a graded artist by
All India Radio, Sameer has given public performances at many places in India,
China, Switzerland, Norway, Spain, England, France and Germany. Apart from
playing Classical Solo concerts and Jugalbandis (Duets), Sameer accompanies his
Guruji, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, on his concerts. He has conducted various
lecture-demonstrations on the nuances of Hindustani classical music, playing on
Bansuri to groups of students and other music lovers. Sameer is already a
recognized name in the world of fusion music, and the music recording industry.
Sameer has performed in various music
projects collaborating with George Brooks, Saxophone player (USA); Matthew
Sharp, Cellist (UK); Sonia Loinsworth, Vocalist (Norway) and with Composers Dev
Issaro (India and Australia), Yonrimog-Maduang (South Korea).
Sameer was selected for a Scholarship during
the year 1997-1998 by The Music & Dance Academy of Karnataka. The
Directorate of Kannada and Culture, Govt. of Karnataka awarded him the ‘Yuva
Pratibha’ of the year, in 2004. He got the ‘Award of Excellence’ from Sri Guru
Ganayogi Panchakshara Sangeet Yogashram Trust, Chennai in 2004. The Nada Bramha
Sangeet Sabha of Mysore conferred the title of ‘Nada Kishore’ on Sameer in
2006, and the Sur Singar Samsad of Mumbai awarded him the title of ‘Surmani’ in
2008.
At present Sameer Rao lives in Bangalore.
Apart from his busy schedules of concerts and performance, he takes out time to
teach a handful of dedicated students of bansuri.