Arinee began her journey in Indian Vocal at the age of 3, establishing a strong foundation in Indian classical music. At 6, she started learning the sitar under her first teacher, Kalyani Deshpande. Eventually, she was honored to become a student in the esteemed Etawah tradition. She is fortunate to continue her studies with the great maestro Ustad Shakir Khan, the eighth-generation torchbearer of this musical tradition. Mastering the sitar is especially challenging for young children due to its hard-to-pull strings, demanding significant practice.
Watch Arinee Nilegaonkar perform Raag Bihag on the sitar for the 2025 Finale Music Competition as part of the Charleston International Music Competition.