Ajay Shankar Prasanna, born in 1969, is an Indian classical flautist in the Hindustani bansuri tradition. He comes from a musical family in the Banaras (or Varanasi) Gharana school of flute players. He was born in Allahabad and hails from a family of classical musicians.
Early life and training Ajay Prasanna learned how to play the flute from his father, Bholanath Prasanna, a bansuri maestro from the Banaras Gharana. Ajay made his public debut at six years old, performing at the Akhil Bharatiya Sangeet Sammelan. He is known for his command of both the gaayaki and tantrakaari styles of flute playing, blending traditional technique with a distinctive modern sensibility
Career Ajay Prasanna Prasanna has had performances in India and abroad. He has performed at venues such as Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and participated in international music events. He was a guest artist on the 2026 Gorillaz album The Mountain alongside several other Indian musicians. Ajay Prasanna has been recognized with several honors, including Grammy nominations, the Global Indian Music Award (GIMA) for his album Cinema, the Sangeet Ratna Award from Swami Haridas Samiti, and the Surmani Award from Sur Singar Sansad.
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