He is particularly drawn to Jazz music because of its emphasis on improvisation, which he believes enables musicians to express themselves more freely. He holds the view that playing jazz is beneficial for musicians of any genre, as it helps them develop their musical maturity and aural abilities.
Rythem Bansal is an accomplished pianist based in New Delhi, India. He has been awarded several merit-based scholarships from prestigious institutions such as Berklee College of Music for its Five-Week Summer Program, as well as the Delhi School of Music, Global Music Institute, and the Korean Cultural Centre. During his formative years, he excelled in various interschool competitions as an active member of his school's music society. Originally self-taught, he later received formal instruction from John Raphael, successfully completing Grade 8 with merit. Driven by a strong passion for Jazz and Improvisational music, he further honed his skills under the mentorship of distinguished musicians such as Jacob Damelin (Canada), Utsav Lal (USA) and Sharik Hasan (USA).
In addition to his solo performances and session work, Rythem leads his trio project Capital Three, and is actively involved with several bands and artists including The Copycats, The Revisit Project, BollyJazz, Prabhtoj Singh and Sanjeeta Bhattacharya. He has had the privilege of performing with internationally acclaimed musicians such as George Brooks (USA), Lars Møller (Denmark), Rainer Pusch (Germany), James Morton (UK), Quentin Moore (USA), David Soin Tapesser (UK) and Yair Amster (Israel), as well as leading Indian musicians like Vasundhara Vee, Shubh Saran, Sanjay Divecha, Pranai Gurung and Aditya Balani. He also served as the house pianist at The Piano Man Jazz Club for three years, where he performed regularly with his trio and curated weekly jam sessions. His versatility and consistent collaborations with a diverse range of musicians have cemented his status as the most sought-after jazz pianist in the city.
Rythem has graced the stage at a wide range of prestigious music festivals, including the Goa International Jazz Festival, MTV India Music Summit Festival (1st Edition), Jaipur Jazz & Blues Festival, Jazz Weekender (1st Edition), Hyderabad Jazz Festival, Pune International Jazz Utsav, Delhi International Jazz Festival, and Giants of Jazz Festival. His performances have also extended to corporate events and firms such as Google, Omega, and India Design ID (2018, 2019, 2022), as well as performance venues like NCPA Tata Theatre (Mumbai), Windmills (Bangalore), India International Centre (Delhi), India Habitat Centre (Delhi), The Piano Man (NCR), Fandom (Bangalore), B Flat (Bangalore), The Quarter (Mumbai) and G5A Foundation (Mumbai).
Boasting close to a decade of teaching experience in both private and institutional settings, Rythem occassionally collaborates with Blue Notes School of Music, where he co-conducts the music ensembles with the esteemed educator and founder Pranai Gurung. He has previously served as a piano faculty member at Performers Collective, One World College of Music, and Blue Notes School of Music.