Avichal was born into a home full of music. His father, a lifelong admirer of classical ragas and vintage Bollywood, filled their house with timeless melodies. As a child, Avichal listened closely, absorbing the emotional power of sound long before he understood it. In high school he explored guitar and voice, searching for a language that was fully his own. It was the sitar that finally answered.

He began formal sitar training at 24 with Paul Livingstone. But the trajectory of his life shifted permanently the night he heard Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan play. Since 2009, Avichal has studied under the maestro, carrying forward the Etawah Gharana, a lineage celebrated for its lyrical beauty, emotional depth, and what its practitioners call the “singing sitar.” In this tradition, the instrument does not merely play melody. It breathes.

Based in Los Angeles, Avichal has collaborated with tabla players Jyotiprakas, Ayan Banerjee, and Javad Butah, flutist Aakash Pujara, and santoor player Kamaljeet Alhuwalia. Avichal’s performances invite listeners into the full emotional world of Hindustani classical music, where a single raga can move from profound stillness to breathtaking intensity, and back again.