Kalyan and Corky Duet

Kalyan Pathak (Tabla) is a composer, musician, drummer and a percussion player of a multi cultural experience covering a very vast base.

“Fleet Finger Virtuosity”
- Chicago Tribune - Howard Reich

Born in Ahmedabad, India, formally trained, from his age 9 till age 15, in Classical Tabla with Ustad Kader Khan, later an apprenticeship with the most prominent drummer, Mr. Ranjit Barot, brought teenaged Kalyan to Bombay in the mid 80’s. While devoting himself to western drumset, Kalyan concurrently did regular studio session work in Bollywood, and toured all over India playing with jazz and rock music bands.

Kalyan came to Chicago in 1991 on a full scholarship from Roosevelt University earning B. Mus degree with honors, and since has become one of the busiest virtuoso tabla/multi-ethnic percussionists in the country, and has performed with international artists such as, Aretha Franklin, Regis Philbin, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Theordore Bikel, as a soloist with Elgin Symphony Orchestra and San Francisco Ballet, collaborative group member with Fareed Haque, Howard Levy, Fulcrum Point New Music Project.

Recent projects include World Premier of original score and composition of “Shanti Paath’ with Chicago Children’s Choir and Fulctum Point New Music Project at Pritzker Pavilion (2013), recordings with his own group “Jazz Mata”, composing and performing jazz big band composition for Chicago Silk Road Project (2006), and tours of Israel, Germany, Switzerland and Brazil on various musical projects.

Kalyan also created and performed tabla part and its Audio score for “Lahara Concerto for Sitar/Guitar and Tabla” by Fareed Haque, which debuted at the Orchestra Hall, Chicago, soloist Haque on Sitar/Guitar and Maestro, Zakir Hussain, on Tabla.

"Guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg’s sweeping solos on 'Pilgrimage' and a guest appearance by Chicago tabla virtuoso Kalyan Pathak on the immensely attractive new tune 'Alhambra' (with its echoes of Miles Davis and Gil Evans’ 'Sketches of Spain') made this a high point of the weekend." - Chicago Tribune - Howard Reich  (Dr. Lonnie Smith performance -Pritzker Pavilion on 9/1/17 - Chicago International Jazz Festival)