Kedar Naphade was born into a Maharashtrian family in the city of Mumbai, India. His father, Sudheer Naphade is a professional in the Merchant Navy and was the Nautical Advisor to the Government of India. His mother Pushpalata Naphade is a physician. He grew up in a traditional middle class environment in a suburb of Mumbai. He received initial music education and training in the harmonium from his grandfather Shri Dadasaheb Naphade and from Arwind Gajendragadkar. Since 1980, from the age of 8, he started learning harmonium solo and accompaniment from Tulsidas Borkar. He was also closely associated with and learnt from Padmavati Shaligram-Gokhale of the Atrauli-Jaipur Gharana from 1989–1993. He finished his engineering degree at the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai in 1993. Subsequently he relocated to the United States of America, where he finished his Ph.D. in Operations Research from Lehigh University in 1997.

Main Category: Musicians

Sub Category: Harmonium

Swar Sadhana Samiti young artist award (1983, 1984).

Sudhir’s musical performances are regularly featured on Indian television and commercial recordings. He has also performed widely in the USA, the UK, the USSR, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Australia, Africa, the Far Eastern and the Middle Eastern countries. Passionate about the study and development of the Harmonium, Sudhir curated an exhibition of antique Harmoniums from his personal vintage collection, along with providing information about the history and the status of the Harmonium, in the International Music Festival 'Baajaa Gaajaa- 2009", which was appreciated by many reputed personalities from the field of Music and fine arts. He also conducts workshops related to the Harmonium at different places in India and abroad. Sudhir is also associated with special projects like ‘Fearless Nadia’, theatrical productions like ‘Stories in a song’ and music festivals like ‘Baajaa Gaajaa' which have gained international acclaim.

Main Category: Musicians

Sub Category: Harmonium

1. 3 December 2013: 'Pt. Govindrao Tembe Smruti Sangatkaar Puraskar' instituted by the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Pune 2.20 January 2010: ‘Saraswat Yuva Puraskar’ for excellence in the field of culture at the Yuva Sammelan, Mangalore 3. 5 January 2007: ‘Saath Sangat Pravin Award 2006’ instituted by the Rajeev Goenka Academy for Classical Music and other Fine Arts under the auspices of The Music Forum, Mumbai jointly with the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata Sudhir has the honour of having performed along with Pandit Bhimsen Joshi at the Central Hall of the Parliament of India, on the occasion marking the Golden Jubilee celebrations of India’s independence and with Shubha Mudgal to mark celebrate 60 years of the Parliament of India.