Purbayan Chatterjee comes from a family steeped in the classical music tradition. His father and guru, Partha Chatterjee, is a distinguished sitarist in his own right, having achieved the status of a highly respected teacher and performer in Europe and USA as well as India. He had the great fortune to study extensively with one of India's greatest musicians Nikhil Bannerjee, who holds a profound influence on Purbayan's approach to music.

In the tradition of the Senia Maihar gharana, Purbayan's playing is an aesthetically satisfying combination of the best facets of "Dhrupad" and "Khayal", North India's two greatest classical vocal forms. The discipline and richness of the "Dhrupad" form is interspersed with the exuberance and lyricism of "Khayal".