ARTISTS

Yogesh Samsi is recognized as a leading table artiste in the world today, exhibiting consummate artistry both as a soloist and accompanist. The son of the renowned vocalist, the late Pandit Dinkar Kaikini, Yogesh was initiated on tabla by his father at the tender age of four, and later received guidance under Pandit H. Taranath Rao. However, it was under the gifted tutelage of the legendary Ustad Allah Rakha that Yogesh received intense training for 23 years, maturing into one of the most sought-after table artists in India today. His style is defined by an unmatched combination of power, sensitivity, knowledge of tradition, tonal clarity, and aesthetics.

Yogesh has played with many of the top-ranking classical instrumentalists, vocalists and dancers of India, including Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Dinkar Kaikini, and Pandit Birju Maharaj. He has also had the privilege of accompanying Ustad Allah Rakha and his son, the great maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain, in their solo performances, and has performed duets with Ustad Zakir Hussain. Apart from accompaniment, Yogesh has performed numerous memorable solo performances in India and abroad. He has been featured in many of the world’s most prestigious venues, such as: Carnegie Hall in New York; the Kennedy Center in Washington DC; Theatre de la Ville in Paris; the Opera House in Sydney; the Barbican Centre in London; the Bolshoi Theatre in Moskow; and the Esplanade Theatre in Singapore, to name a few.

Outside of the authentic tradition that he carries forward, Yogesh also embraces collaboration with artists for sounds that fuse music from various world traditions. In this spirit, he has performed with artists including Taufiq Qureshi, Ranjit Barot, Louis Banks, Shujaat Khan, Karsh Kale, Kayhan Kalhor, and many more.

Yogesh is a member of the advisory board for the music department at Pune University, the Saaz School of Music London, and is a chief advisor for educational activities and promotion of Indian Classical music for the reputed music organization Darbar in London.