Uday Bhawalkar is among the foremost Dhrupad vocalists and has been a strong force in its growing recognition, popularity and resurgence, worldwide. He’s a disciple of Ustaad Zia Fariduddin Dagar (vocal) and Ustaad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar (Rudra-Veena), the towering pillars of the Dhrupad tradition . Uday believes that when immersed in the note and raga, the self dissolves and only the music remains.  Uday has an engaging style and is able to reach out and communicate with audiences of all backgrounds. Since his first performance at Bhopal in 1985 Uday has performed in a number of prestigious festivals and events in India and abroad. An inspiring, significant moment was when Ustaad Nasir Aminuddin Dagar, the eldest of the Dagar family, on hearing Uday perform in 1987 ,blessed him ,with a gold medal . In 2004 at the Prithvi music festival Uday performed with the legendary Ustaad Zakir Hussain who played the Pakhawaj with him. Uday has widely performed in the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, Mexico, Singapore, Japan and Israel. He has also collaborated with artists from other disciplines and cultures. Uday has contributed to the soundtracks for international arts films.

He has taught internationally at institutions such as the Rotterdam Music Conservatory, The University of Washington, Seattle and the Asian music circuit, London, to name a few. He is a Guru at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy at Kolkata, Benegal Foundation’s “Parampara Sangeetalay”, Dhaka, Bangladesh and Avartan Gurukul,
Pune.  In recognition for his artistry he has received many prestigious awards including the Kumar Gandharva Samman given by the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh (2001) and the Raza Foundation Award (2007) given personally by the eminent painter S H Raza.