TablaMasters

Sri Shivprasad Kotagal

Founder

Shri Shivprasad Kotagal is an accomplished tabla artist, performer, educator, and founder of TablaMasters and co-founder of MusicMasters Academy, institutions dedicated to preserving and promoting Indian classical music in the United States. With decades of training spanning the distinguished Ajrada and Farukhabad gharanas, he brings together the rhythmic depth, tonal richness, and compositional sophistication of both traditions. His playing is marked by clarity, expressive bayan work, and a strong sensitivity to the music and artists he accompanies. He is active as a soloist, accompanist, and cross-cultural collaborator.

Born in Nagpur and raised in Baroda (Vadodara), Shivprasad grew up in a culturally rich environment influenced by both Hindustani and Carnatic music. Recognized early for his rhythmic aptitude, he began training at age nine under Shri Anil Gadgil. Within a year, he was performing publicly and participating in competitions.

During his school years, he was guided further by Shri Mukund Gaekwad, who encouraged deeper study of tabla, leading him to Shri Madhukar Gurav, a leading exponent of the Ajrada Gharana and former Head of the Department of Instruments at Baroda Music College. Under his mentorship, Shivprasad developed a strong foundation in Ajrada repertoire, known for its intricate compositions, rhythmic complexity, and expressive bayan techniques.

After moving to the United States in 2000, he continued advanced training under Pandit K. Prashant and Pandit K. Paramjyoti, a senior disciple of Ustad Amir Hussain Khan of the Farukhabad Gharana. This training expanded his understanding of Farukhabad aesthetics, including tonal clarity, compositional elegance, and refined finger technique. He continues to refine his artistry under internationally acclaimed tabla maestro Shri Biplab Bhattacharya.

Shivprasad has performed widely across the United States as a soloist and accompanist, appearing in concerts, festivals, lecture-demonstrations, and cultural programs. His performances have been featured on All India Radio, EBC Radio, and I-TV. His grounding in both Ajrada and Farukhabad traditions informs an accompaniment style that is responsive, balanced, and musically supportive.

He has accompanied and recorded with many distinguished artists. Among vocalists are Chandrika Tandon, Mahesh Kale, Vidushi Sanhita Nandi, the late Pandit Madhav Gudi, Nagraj Rao Havaldar, Manoj Govindraj, Hemant Kulkarni, Rajesh Paranjape, Mitali Bhowmik, Madhav Bhatki, and Kedar Naphade, as well as Gujarati Sugam Sangeet legends Rasbihari Desai and Purushottam Upadhyay, and Bollywood singers Arvinder Singh and Mohinderjit Singh.

His instrumental collaborations include the late Acharya Roop Verma, sitarist Arjun Verma, sitarist Kinnar Seen, sarod player Souryadeep Bhattacharya, flautist Abhiram Nanda, and the Khan Brothers, Ustad Rais Khan and Ustad Hafiz Khan, among others.

He has also worked in cross-genre and fusion contexts with Western and world musicians including pianist John McDowell, flautist Steve Gorn, and cellist Robert Bellamy, exploring intercultural dialogue while remaining rooted in classical tabla tradition.

In 2014, he founded TablaMasters (online learning platform) and co-founded MusicMasters Academy, with the goal of making authentic Indian classical music education accessible to students in the United States and globally. TablaMasters serves as the digital learning arm, while MusicMasters Academy functions as the broader institution for in-person instruction, performances, and community engagement. Through these platforms, he trains and mentors students in both technique and musical understanding.

Shivprasad currently resides in Suwanee, Georgia, where he continues his work as a performer, teacher, and mentor, dedicated to preserving and passing on the tabla tradition to future generations.

Smt Swapna Karambakkam

Co-Founder

Swapna co-founded TablaMasters alongside Shivprasad and keeps the academy running — organizing classes, recitals, and the community around them so the teaching itself can stay focused on the students. Her work is a big part of why TablaMasters has grown into a real home for classical tabla in Atlanta, not just a set of lessons.