Ritesh Das (born 9 June 1957 in Kolkata, India) is a tabla player who has been teaching and composing music since the early 1970s.
Das graduated from Don Bosco High School in 1975 and went on to study commerce at City College, Kolkata from 1976 to 1978.
While in California, he served an apprenticeship under Zakir Hussain and then began studying tabla with his current guru, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri at the Ali Akbar College of Music.
Das recently launched the first Toronto Tabla Youth Ensemble featuring young artists between 8 and 15 years of age who he continues to train.
In addition to tabla classes, Ritesh Das also hosts kathak, orissi and yoga classes, as well as workshops, and small performances at his Centre for Indian Arts 1992–present Founder and artistic director, Toronto Tabla Ensemble 1987–present Various solo appearances 1988-2011 Founding member, Artistic co-director, M-DO Kathak Toronto 2006-2009 Toured Canada, USA, Europe, Australia with Jeff Martin and The Tea Party 1994-1995 Founding member, composer, performer, Humdrum Toronto 1979-1985 Lead Percussionist, AMAN Folk Ensemble Los Angeles, California 2016 Received Roy Thomson Hall Award of Recognition 2016 Celebrated 25 Years of Toronto Tabla Ensemble with a pair of Concerts at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto 2015 Collaboration concerts with Japanese Taiko group: Nagata Shachu 2014 Founded Indian Diaspora Festival 2014 Music licensed for documentary: ‘No easy walk to freedom’ by Nancy Nicol 2012, 2013 Music licensed for TD Bank Visa commercials 2011 Music licensed for Aga Khan Museum website 2008 Composed opening music for CBC Metro Morning News