Ustad Zakir Hussain (1951-), from Mumbai, India, is a tabla virtuoso, composer, percussionist, music producer, teacher, and film actor. He is also the eldest son to tabla player Ustad Allah Rakha, who taught him Pakhawaj from the age of three onwards. Hussain became a performance artist at the age of seven and moved to northern california as a young adult. There he began his international career, performing for more than 150 concert dates a year. He has collaborated with many musicians and toured extensively throughout India, the US, and Europe. Zakir has also composed soundtracks for, and starred in, several films. He is a founding member of Bill Laswell's 'World Music Supergroup' Tabla Beat Science. Princeton University's Humanities Council named Hussain an Old Dominion Fellow and from 2005 -2006, Hussain was a full professor at Princeton University's music department. He has also been a visiting professor at Stanford University.

Ustad Vilayat Khan (1928– 2004), was an Indian classical sitar player from Gouripur, Mymensingh in then East Bengal, British India and current Bangladesh. He is a key figure in the creation and development of gayaki ang on the sitar. He was taught in the family style, known as the Imdadkhani gharana or Etawah Gharana. Khan was primarily a traditional interpreter of grand, basic ragas such as Yaman, Shree, Todi, Darbari and Bhairavi, however he was also known to re-interpret and reinvent some ragas. Khan recorded for over 65 years, broadcasted music on All India Radio for almost as long, and toured internationally for over 50 years.