Surmani Krishna Ballesh is one of the disciples of World Renowned Shehnai Maestro Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan. He is a Hindustani Classical Shehnai Artist and Hindustani classical vocalist. He is from a family of renowned Shehnai artists, performing for past 35 decades (350 Years) from Karnataka (Dharwad - Belgaum District). My grandfather, Pt. Sanna Bharamanna was a renowned Shehnai player and also my first Shehnai guru. Later he continued to learn from my father Pt Ballesh guru ji.

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Krishna ji is a Patiala gharana trained Hindustani vocalist and also got trained in Kirana, Gwalior gharanas by my legendary gurujans. He is also disciple of Hindustani Vocalist Padmashri Ustad Rashid Khan Sahab of (Rampur Sahaswana gharana) and Padmashri M. Venkatesh Kumar who is also his father Pandit Ballesh ji guru bandhu.

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Along with his father and guru, Shehnai Chakravarthy Pt.Ballesh ji, he had played Shehnai for many Indian composers including Maestro Ilayaraja sir and Oscar Winner AR. Rahman in various Indian movies and recently had rendered a duet Shehnai play in hollywood Film “ The Hunderd Foot Journey -2014 ” for the track titled India Calling.