For Carnatic Classical Music he performs on the Ghatam, the Indian clay pot. For other genres he also performs on varied South Indian percussion instruments including Mridangam, Khanjira and Morsing He renders Konnakol with equal aplomb.
Udupa is the first Indian percussionist to perform at the prestigious Krakow International Percussion Festival (2005). On a special invitation by the organizers, he also conducted a workshop on South Indian percussions and introduced the concept and practice of Indian rhythm to a global audience. Widening his horizons with extensive global touring, Udupa has enriched his music with nuances sought from all schools of music.
Accolades have come from around the world. Music lovers celebrate the finesse of his fingering, the dexterity of his playing, and the incomprehensible speed of his intricate rhythmic designs. His fingers simply fly around Ghatam, perennially holding surprises for the audience. A part from playing authentic Carnatic Classical music, he has performed in many Hindustani Classical, Fusion, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Flamenco, Symphony Orchestra, Celtic Music, Latin Music, DJ Music, World Music, Arabic Music, and Japanese Music, Talavadya (Percussion Ensemble), Bollywood Music, European Folk Music and Jugalbandhi cents and has been part of numerous International Music Festivals with renowned Indian Musicians like Dr. L. Subramaniam, Trilok Gurtu, pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ustad Sultan Khan, Shankar Mahadevan, Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, Ustad Shahid Parvez, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Ustad Fazal Qureshi, Pandit Birju Maharaj, Sivamani, Louis Banks, Niladri Kumar, Ustad Taufiq Qureshi, Lucky Ali, Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam, Ranjit Barot, Bikram Ghosh, Rahul Sharma, Selva Ganesh, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, and Western Musicians like Larry Coryell, Hubert Laws, George Brooks, Ernie Watts, John Kaizan Neptune, Chico Freeman, Kai Eckhardt, Corky Siegel, Ivry gitlis, Airto Moreira, Fritz Renold, Lewis Pragasam and others. He has also worked with many leading music directors in India.
Udupa is a founder member of Layatharanga, a team of Indian classical musicians who have embarked on creating new waves of music blending different forms of classical, folk and world music. To take his music to the global audience, he has teamed up with Poland based Flamenco Group 'Indialucia' (Miguel Czachowski) and France based Celtic Band Bamboo & Clay Radio France, Polskie Radio (Polish Radio), Radio Luxembourg and several radio networks have broadcast his solo concerts and interviews.He has conducted many workshops & lecture demonstrations for many prestigious institutions all over the world. He has also composed and conducted for many world music projects. Udupa has given concerts under the auspices of prestigious Sabhas all over India and abroad, including USA, UK, Canada, South Africa, Brazil, China, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, France, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Italy, Ireland, Turkey, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Romania, Sweden, Indonesia, Mauritius, Re Union Island, Singapore, Malaysia, Bangkok, Dubai, Muscat, Doha, Sri Lanka, Bahrain and Kuwait. Performed with Bombay Jayashri at Sydney Opera House (Concert Hall), Sydney, Australia.
Australia and China Tour Dates with Bombay Jayashri:
28 April: Sydney, Australia (Sydney Opera House)
2 May: Shanghai, China (Shanghai World Music Festival)
4 May: Shanghai, China (Shanghai World Music Festival)
5 May: Hangzhou, China (Concert Hall of Hangzhou Grand Theatre)
6 May: Shanghai, China (Shanghai World Music Festival)
8 May: Beijing, China (Peking University)
9 May: Beijing, China (Forbidden City Concet Hall )
10 May: Shenzen, China (Longgang Cultural Center).
Performed for Taal Chakra at Mumbai and had a lovely time spending with his most inspiring musicians Trilok Gurtu and Ranjit Barot Performed at the most prestigious Sawai Gandharva Festival, Pune with Shankar Mahadevan. Ghatam Giridhar toured Srilanka and Europe [Poland, Belgium, France] with T.M.Krishna.