Sitar virtuoso Anupama Bhagwat is one of the world’s very few high-level female players of the sitar, the primary instrument of North Indian classical music. Born and raised in Bhilai, India, she lived in Dayton for several years. Bhagwat began playing the sitar at nine when an uncle gave her an instrument, and at age 13, she started formal studies with her guru, Pandit Shri Bimalendu Mukherjee. Bhagwat plays in the Gayaki style, a lyrical and subtly nuanced style modeled upon the human voice. Her playing is characterized by flawless technique, both on the fast taans and the more meditative alaap. Bhagwat has performed throughout India and the U.S., and in Canada, Italy, France and the U.K. Since 1998, she has appeared regularly and toured extensively as a guest artist with Global Rhythms, a world music ensemble based at Miami University. Bhagwat has recorded several solo albums, including Colors of Sunset, Soulful Strings and Sanjh (Sounds of the Evening).