Born in 1976, in Pune, India, Nawaz Mirajkar hails from a proud lineage of musicians. From the tender age of seven, Nawaz began playing the tabla under the tutelage of his father Ustad Mohammad Hanif Khan Mirajkar. Nawaz pursued his passion in music and completed his Music degree in 1994.

Nawaz joined the Temple of Fine Arts, Singapore in 1996. He is also an adjunct faculty member at the Music Faculty of the School of the Arts (SOTA). Nawaz has played a significant role in spreading traditional Indian music across different age groups and races in Singapore. As a teacher, he has inspired young generations of percussionists to follow in his footsteps.

In 2001, Nawaz received a Guinness World record for carrying out a non-stop drumming marathon for over 27 hours. In 2011, Nawaz was awarded the prestigious Young Artist Award (Music) by the National Arts Council for his significant contribution to the Singapore arts scene.

Although classically trained, Nawaz’s versatility as a musician has resulted in forays into contemporary fusion music, collaborating with many renowned artistes from around the world. Nawaz has also travelled to perform at many world-class festivals abroad. Given the cosmopolitan environment of Singapore, Nawaz continues to draw inspiration from Western, Oriental and Indian elements to fuel his creative process. Nawaz hopes to bring the art of the tabla and percussion to greater heights by continuing to re-invent and experiment while keeping the traditions alive.