Udhav Shinde (full name: Pundit Udhav Shankarao Shinde) is one of India's top percussionists. He has been playing the pakhawaj drum since the age of five, under the guidance of his father, Padmashree Shankar Bapu Apegaonkar.



Raised in the Varkari Samprodaya, the musical tradition of the poet saints of Maharashtra, Udhav experienced the richness and power of spiritual music at an early age. He performs as a soloist at India's major music festivals, including the Dhrupad Mela in Varanassi, the Sharanghev Samaroh in Delhi and the Asia Pacific Conference in Pune.



As a composer, he works with the Dagar family, the Gundecha Brothers, and other acclaimed instrumentalists and vocalists. He was recently appointed Senior Guru for pakhawaj by the Indian Government. During his European tours, Udhav is always well received for his warmth, exuberance and mastery.



More recently Udhav Shinde has been living and working in Belgium.



He has performed as a soloist at all of the major music festivals in India, as well as accompanist to India's foremost dhrupad singers. He is known for his high energy, sensitive interpretation, and colorful ranges of mood and timbre. He is the pakhawaj artist on the newly-released Gundecha Brothers' CD, 'Raga Bageshwari,' as well as on the CD of 'Raga Desh,' which inspired the

De Keersmaeker dance production of 'Desh.' Pandit Shinde is the director of a gurukul for pakhawaj and dhrupad, and has been appointed senior guru of pakhawaj by the Cultural Department of the Government of India and the Government of Rajastan.