Swapnil Chaudhuri is a 10th-grade student from Frisco, Texas. He has been passionately learning and playing the Sitar, an Indian classical instrument, since he was 4 years old. His training follows the Guru-Shishya Parampara tradition, an esteemed and ancient Indian system that nurtures a sacred bond between mentor and disciple. At the age of 8, Swapnil had the honor of being featured in a documentary film about Pandit Monoj Shankar, a legendary Sitarist from the Maihar Gharana, where he played as the youngest student under his guidance. In 2021, he played the Sitar during the Guru Purnima Virtual Concert, celebrating Pandit Monoj Shankar’s legacy. In 2022, Swapnil was given the privilege of playing at the prestigious Music Hall of Jadavpur University. In 2025, he placed second in the American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition and had the honor of performing at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Watch Swapnil Chaudhuri perform Khamaj Dhun by Pandit Partha Bose on the sitar for the 2025 Global Music Competition as part of the Charleston International Music Competition.