Uday Bhawalkar was born in 1966 in Madhya Pradesh and began learning classical vocal music in the Khayal style from the age of 8. At the age of 15, he received a grant to undergo four years of training in Dhrupad under Ustad Zia Fareeduddin Dagar. This period convinced him that he wanted to continue in the Dhrupad style, and therefore he went to Mumbai to learn under his guru’s elder brother Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar. Under his tutelage he developed greatly as an artist and is now considered one of the leading Dhrupad exponents of the current generation.
In the past century, the major gharanas of Dhrupad began opening their doors to students from outside their families, and concentrating a great deal on training the new generation of Dhrupad artists. This lead to a revival in the entire art form, with improvisation and creativity becoming hallmarks of Dhrupad Performances. Uday Bhawalkar is one of those who has contributed greatly both to Dhrupad as an art form and to the revival of interest in Dhrupad. He is keenly interested in teaching and wants to be able to impart the same quality of training to his students that he received from his Ustads. He has received many honours and prizes, including the prestigious Young Musicians´ Award of the Indian ministry of culture, and has been heard outside India since the mid-80s.