A musician, Rajendra started learning music at a young age and decided to pursue it professionally. He has performed across the country and aspires to impart his learning to his students.

Rajendra Kandalgaonkar is a classical vocalist and Principal at Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Mahavidyalaya in Pune.

Recalling his childhood, Rajendra says that he used to chant Omkar on the advice of his guru, which helped him in singing. He also gave exams at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. He completed his BA from Sir Parshurambhau College and continued his music practice. He used to practice ragas, alaap, and tanas to improve his vocal and performing skills.

Sharing about his journey, Rajendra says that his family was fond of classical music, and when he was young, they all used to listen to classical music programmes on the radio. He started learning when he was in third grade under the guidance of his first guru, Pt. Vishnu Pant, and thereafter took training under Bharat Ratna Pt. Bhimsen Joshi for ten years. He gained more experience as he performed in shows and got to work with artists of various gharanas. He has performed at the Boston Festival and the Brihan Maharashtra Mandal in 2005. He feels elated by the appreciation and recognition shown by the audience. He also teaches music to his students.

Talking about his mistakes, Rajendra says that mistakes are bound to happen in life. He explains that audiences in different cities have different preferences, so he tries to customize his music according to the tastes of his audience. He advises that an artist should have knowledge of all kinds of forms and styles of music.

Sharing his achievements, Rajendra says that he had participated in various competitions during his college days. He had topped Sangeet Alankar, a music exam from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. He has received a scholarship from the state government for Human Resource Development. He was also conferred the Surmani Award and the Rashtra Gaurav Puruskar.

When asked about his role models, Rajendra says he has learned a lot from Pt. Bhimsen Joshi and Ustad Amir Khan and tries to follow them.

Rajendra's life mantra is to practice smartly and make a schedule of what he has to practice accordingly.