Rahul Vanamali is a percussionist from Chennai, India. Having been active as a performer for over 15 years, Rahul graduated from KM Music Conservatory with a diploma in Percussion Performance in 2019, before moving to the Schulich School of Music of McGill University in Montréal, Canada, where he received a Bachelor of Music degree in Orchestral Percussion Performance in 2022.

Rahul specializes in mallet percussion and drum set, and is one of the only, if not the only, mallet percussion specialist(s) in the country, having debuted mallet percussion instruments at various venues across a wide variety of musical contexts, including at the prestigious National Center for Performing Arts (NCPA), and Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai. He has performed as a classical percussionist in orchestras and contemporary ensembles in Canada and India, including the McGill Symphony Orchestra in Montréal and the international Friendship Orchestra in Chennai in 2023, as well as performing on the drums alongside progressive rock bands in Chennai and at the video game music convention MAGFest in the US, on multiple occasions.

Rahul has also shared the stage with some of the most renowned musicians across the country – he has worked as a mallet percussionist with Oscar- and Grammy-award winning Bollywood composer AR Rahman, as well as with Louiz Banks, frequently called “the Godfather of Indian jazz”.

Rahul has also been active in expanding classical music in India, working as a soloist as well as in a chamber duet, to premiere classical and contemporary percussion and chamber music for Indian audiences. He also performs with the supporting band for the Indian Choral Ensemble, a 40-piece choir based out of Chennai that melds Western choral styles with traditional Indian music.

Most recently, Rahul founded the first-ever India Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) and serves as its president, working to grow the percussion community in India and connect with percussionists globally.