- Events
- Artistic Directors
- Maestro Bickram Ghosh
Maestro Bickram Ghosh
Maestro Bickram Ghosh is widely considered to be one of India's greatest versatile artists. He is one of the rare artists who excels in three musical fields simultaneously. These are Indian Classical, Experimental and Film scoring. Bickram has a formidable reputation as one of the world’s greatest classical Tabla players. He has played on several Grammy-nominated albums and one Grammy-awarded album. He is also heralded for being one of the driving forces of experimental music. Further, he is also an extremely successful film music director, having scored for 45 feature films.
Having performed the world over with the greatest names in classical music, especially Pt. Ravi Shankar, with whom he played for over a decade, Bickram later went on to form his band Rhythmscape. Bickram's subsequent super successful solo albums have consolidated his position as a pioneer of a new experimental sound.
Bickram Ghosh is also widely regarded as a pioneering force in the world of fusion music. Bickram’s hugely successful classical fusion band Rhythmscape and several other experimentations within the format of fusion made him one of the most popular musical stars of his generation.
He has over 200 albums to his credit, and his albums have won numerous awards. He has recently been awarded an honorary doctorate in music. He is the recipient of the Banga Bhushan and Sangeet Maha Samman, the highest honors from the state of West Bengal. He won the Uttam Kumar Samman, the highest state award for film scoring.
The son and disciple of the illustrious Tabla maestro Pandit Shankar Ghosh, Bickram also learnt the intricacies of Carnatic percussion from Vidwaan S. Sekhar. He is also a disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar.
Curatorial note about
the event
Conceived by Bickram Ghosh as a musical thread running across Venice, Many Waters Have Flown brings together diverse Indian musical traditions in a shared, fluid format.
Rooted in the discipline of Indian classical music, the performances reflect the idea that a single note can unfold over time, gathering shades, memory, and meaning. It presents India not as a fixed image, but as a living, evolving presence, shaped by movement, exchange, and continuity.
Learn about the live performances at the National Pavilion of India 2026
A lifetime of work by
Maestro Bickram Ghosh
Major performances / global appearances
- Rhythmscape performance: At the Forum, Barcelona, sharing the stage with Sting, Phil Collins, Norah Jones and Bob Dylan
- Commonwealth Games finale: Performed at the finale of the Commonwealth Games in 2010
- UNESCO Paris performance: Represented India for the 150 years’ celebration of Rabindranath Tagore’s birth at UNESCO, Paris in 2012
Film scoring (notable films mentioned)
- Jal: Recipient of an Oscar Contention along with Sonu Nigam
- Little Zizou: Mira Nair presented, Sooni Taraporewala directed
- Byomkesh Pawrbo: Arindam Sil’s Bengali hit
- Eagoler Chokh: Arindam Sil’s Bengali hit
- Durga Sohay: Won the State award for Best Music Director 2017
- Avijatrik: Won the Filmfare award for his score
International recordings / collaborations
- Brainwashed: An album by George Harrison that was nominated for Grammys
- Full Circle: An album with Pandit Ravi Shankar, which won Raviji a Grammy
Large-scale compositions / productions
- Vande Mataram recreation: Recreated the Indian National song in 2012 with 22 of India’s greatest musicians
- Vande Bharatam project: Composed along with Grammy winner Ricky Kej, showcased with 500 dancers of the Republic Day Parade
- T20 World Cup finals extravaganza: Composed and presented an extravaganza with 120 artists in 2016
- Indian Super League opening: One of the composers for the opening of the Indian Super League