Kishori Amonkar, widely considered the finest female vocalist of her generation, was bom in 1931, daughter of another great artist, Smt Mogubai Kurdikar. In her early years she absorbed the approach and repertoire of her distinguished mother's teacher Ustad Alladiya Khan. As her own style developed however she moved away from Alladiya Khan's "Jaipur gharana" style in some respects, and as a mature artist her approach is usually regarded as an individual, if not unique, varient of the Jaipur model.

She is a leading exponent of Khayal and semi classical forms of Hindustani music, including devotional songs. Trained vigorously in the style of her gharana, she has assimilated the best in other gharanas as well. She has also researched in Indian music and conducted seminars and workshops on the subject. Kishori Amonkar has performed widely within the country and has many popular records to her credit. She has performed in prestigious arts events abroad, including the Festivals of India in the U.S.A and France.