Nancy Kulkarni is an award-winning cellist who has devoted the last 25 years to the performance of Indian classical music on the cello. She studied seven years in India with Ustad Z. M. Dagar and Ustad Z. F. Dagar. renowned masters of the dhrupad style. Nancy has given scores of dhrupad recitals internationally and has received rave reviews in numerous publications. Her CDs are released on India Archive and Dhrupad labels. In 1987, she was featured playing dhrupad cello in the documentary film, Through My Eyes by Mani Kaul. In 1991, she was invited by the King of Banaras to give a private recital for the Royal Family. Since then, she has given scores of solo recitals in major venues such as Orchestra Hall, Chicago, the Museum of Natural History, New York City, and the Y.B. Chavan Center, Bombay. Twice recipient of the Senior Performing Arts Fellowship of the American Institute of Indian Studies, Nancy travels to India each year for further dhrupad study.  

Before devoting her music exclusively to dhrupad in 1982, Nancy was Co-Principal Cellist of the Rome Festival Orchestra and Section Cellist with the Orchestra Del Maggio Musicale of Florence and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. She currently teaches World Music at the University of Wisconsin, gives recitals and workshops on Indian music, and travels to India each year for further dhrupad study.

Nancy's cello has six strings, two of which are "chikari" (rhythmic) strings, similar to those of Indian stringed instruments. The end-pin is adapted allow for a seated posture on a carpet, which is the traditional posture of musicians in India. She has also incorporated many special left-hand techniques in order to portray the subtle slides and ornaments of dhrupad music.