Biography

A renowned singer and a true polymath, Mahesh Kale took birth in a musical family where he developed a deep affinity for singing. He further rose to great proficiency and expertise in the fine art of music from age 6 under his mother's guidance. A disciple of the legendary Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, Mahesh has gained high proficiency in classical and semi-classical forms of singing, like thumri, dadra, tappa, bhajans, and natyasangeet. His training has taken him through a musical family's heritage, a gurukul-like tutelage, global recognition, and heartwarming renown. He has performed fusion concerts globally, with world-famous musicians like Ustad Zakir Hussain, Sivamani, Trilok Gurtu, George Brooks, and many more. Mahesh ji regularly gives lecture-­demonstrations and talks at various conferences and academic institutions including Stanford University, Harvard University, IISc Bangalore, and TEDx. He has also won India's National Film Award for Katyar Kaljat Ghusli and made judge in a singing show on Colors TV. He started Mahesh Kale School of Music (MKSM) where he imparts his accumulated learning to worthy students. With its beginnings in San Francisco Bay Area, MKSM has now built into a vibrant global student community passionate about learning this heritage art. Mahesh ji is also the Founder of the Indian Classical Music and Arts (ICMA) Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on preserving, nurturing, and celebrating Indian Classical Music.