Our teachers

Meet our music teachers

Our teachers have devoted their careers, for decades, to their fields. They sing on Nepal's biggest stages, produce music in our studio and keep classical traditions alive, and they know what is best for learning each craft properly.

7 core teachers
The Voice of Nepal singers
Studio producers
Classical gurus

Nagendra Bikram Rai playing the bansuri — Bansuri

Subash Chandra Joshi singing on stage — Vocal

Subash Chandra Joshi Yogendra Upadhyay Tikaram Shrestha Rizol Pokhrel Nagendra Bikram Rai Jagannath Dhaugoda Samir Pariyar

Vocal

Subash Chandra Joshi

Vocal guru · Image Award winner · producer, Daju Bhai Studio

Subash Chandra Joshi is a singer, composer and arranger who leads ECA's in-house Daju Bhai Studio. He won Best New Artist of the Year at the 20th Annual Image Award in Kathmandu (6 October 2018) for his song "Chhami Herana". He teaches classical, ghazal and modern vocals at ECA, with riyaz at the harmonium at the heart of every class, and his students include The Voice Kids contestant Binamra Subedi.

Best New Artist of the Year, 20th Annual Image Award, Kathmandu, 6 October 2018 ("Chhami Herana")
Composed the music of "Jun Dinchhau Mayale" by Rupesh Kumar Bista and Melina Rai (2026), recorded at Daju Bhai Studio
Arranges, mixes and masters most Daju Bhai Studio releases since 2019
Sings ghazal and raga: "Ranjish Hi Sahi", and Raga Yaman "Alikati Pani Nagara Abera"
Released his own songs "Manko Aawaaz" and "Timrai Saasma"; guest on Radio Nation's "Sambad" (2023)

Vocal

Yogendra Upadhyay

Vocal teacher · composer · multi-instrumentalist

Yogendra Upadhyay is a singer and composer with a Master's in Music from Tribhuvan University and an "A" grade from Radio Nepal. He has released nearly 100 songs, plays some seven or eight instruments, and mentored Diliza Ruwali on her way to the finale of The Voice Kids Season 4.

Master's in Music, Tribhuvan University, with the title "Lalit Kalacharya"
Radio Nepal "A" grade musician (2018)
First place, national open modern-song competition (2014)
Albums "Sangai Hidaun", "Katima Kuti" and "Clear Cut" (2022)
Wrote the lyrics and music of "Salala Kholima", which passed a million views in October 2026

Vocal

Tikaram Shrestha

Vocal teacher · children's vocal batches

Tikaram Shrestha is a vocal teacher at ECA who won a four-chair turn on The Voice of Nepal Season 7 and sang through to the knockout round with Team Raju. At ECA he leads vocal basics for our young singers, and he writes and records his own songs.

Four-chair turn on The Voice of Nepal Season 7 (2025), with "Chari"
Battle-round winner with Team Raju, then sang in the knockouts
Teaches vocal basics and sargam to ECA's children's batches
Released "Timi Gayou" (2026), produced at Daju Bhai Studio
Sang "Dashain Aayo" for Daju Bhai Studio (2022)

Guitar

Rizol Pokhrel

Guitar instructor · arranger

Rizol Pokhrel teaches guitar at ECA in beginner, intermediate and advanced batches. He is the lead guitarist and arranger behind many Daju Bhai Studio covers, and he leads the guitar section of ECA's live band.

Lead guitar and backing vocals on "Keshari" (16K views)
Arranger of "Ali Ali" and "Dashain Aayo"
Production, arrangement and guitar on "Ranga × Can't Help Falling in Love"
Lead guitarist of the ECA house band at the 3rd anniversary and ECA Idol Season 2 finale
Runs an advanced guitar course alongside beginner batches

Bansuri

Nagendra Bikram Rai

Bansuri guru · composer

Nagendra Bikram Rai is one of Nepal's best-known bansuri players, with more than 20 years on the flute. He has released the albums "Sadhana" and "Libulung", his YouTube channel has about 95,000 subscribers, and he trains with Pandit Rupak Kulkarni. At ECA he teaches raga-based bansuri in morning, evening and online batches.

Led a flute orchestra of 20+ of his students at ECA's 3rd anniversary show
Played Raga Patdeep with Jagannath Dhaugoda on the same stage
His flute cover of "Kun Mandirma Janchhau Yatri" has 700K+ views
Albums "Sadhana Vol. 2" and "Libulung"
Featured on Indigenous Television's "Damphu Selo" flute special

Tabla · madal

Jagannath Dhaugoda

Tabla & madal guru · handsonic & drums

Jagannath Dhaugoda is a tabla player trained under Pandit Samir Dey. He has accompanied leading classical artists in concert and played in the house band of The Voice of Nepal Season 4. At ECA he teaches tabla and madal for beginners, intermediate players and advanced performers.

Disciple of Pandit Samir Dey; their tabla duet played at Nachghar, Jamal
Musician in the house band of The Voice of Nepal Season 4 (2022)
Long-time tabla partner of Nagendra Bikram Rai on albums and concerts
Accompanied sarod player Rupa Neupane in Raag Kirwani
Handsonic and drums in the ECA house band

Keyboard · vocal

Samir Pariyar

Keyboard instructor · junior vocal batches · academy manager

Samir Pariyar is an ECA-trained singer and keyboard player from Mahottari who sang on The Voice of Nepal Season 4 (2022) and reached the battle round with Team Rajesh. He now teaches keyboard and the junior vocal batches at ECA, manages the academy, and records and accompanies students at Daju Bhai Studio.

Manages ECA Academy, and teaches keyboard and the junior vocal batches
The Voice of Nepal Season 4: blind audition "Chahanchu Timilai", battle with Team Rajesh
Keyboard and programming on Nagendra Rai's Tihar mashup (254K views)
Recordist on the original classical song "Phool ko Dhaarma" (2025)
Sang "Hajar Sapana" at ECA's 3rd anniversary show
Plays keys at the Monthly Programme, festival programmes and studio sessions

On stage

The ECA house band

At ECA Idol and our anniversary shows, every singer is accompanied live by our own band of teachers and musicians.

Rizol PokhrelLead guitar
Dilip TamangRhythm guitar
Jagannath DhaugodaHandsonic & drums
Himal TimalsinaBass
Roshan PhuyelMadal & tabla
Sangeet LamaFlute
Som NiroulaKeyboard
Bidur DahalPiano · instructor

The ECA house band accompanying Binamra Subedi on stage

ECA house band, 3rd anniversary show

Guest artists

Maestros who visit our studio

Students learn by watching great musicians at work. Recent guests include guitar maestro Aman Shahi, flute maestro Umesh Pandit and sarangi maestro Manish Gandharva, and The Voice of Nepal coach Pramod Kharel has visited the academy.

Daju Bhai Studio