Shivpreet Singh

Shivpreet Singh is a Sikh poet, composer, translator, and nonprofit leader based in San Ramon, California. His work spans devotional music, literary translation, poetic commentary, and social impact initiatives. His genre-blending kirtan has been streamed over 50 million minutes annually, and his poetry blog receives over one million visitors each year. In October 2025, his debut poem, Moondrunk on Diwali, was published by Rattle. All proceeds from Shivpreet's music, poetry and performances are donated to artists who are supporting the planet through climate activism, peace initiatives, and community engagement through DhunAnand Foundation which he founded.  He studied Biochemistry and Music at UC Berkeley and received an MBA from the University of Chicago. 

Early Life and Education

Singh was born in Kathmandu, Nepal in March 1975 and raised in Delhi, India. At the age of five, he began studying Indian classical music under the legendary bansuri and shehnai maestro Pandit Raghunath Prasanna of the Banaras Gharana. He moved to the U.S. in 1991 and graduated as valedictorian from Silver Creek High School in San Jose, California. He earned a BSc in Biochemistry and a minor in Music from UC Berkeley, followed by an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Music and Literary Work

Shivpreet’s debut devotional album, Ardaas, was released in 1997 by EMI, making him one of the first South Asian artists to sign with a major Western label. His work blends Sikh kirtan, Indian classical raags, and Western harmony. In an interview with New Music Alert, he was described as a “brilliant new-age musician.” Other noted interviews include: 

Notable recordings include:

He is the tenth-generation descendant of Bhai Nandlal Goya, the Persian court poet of Guru Gobind Singh, a lineage profiled in The Tribune (Delhi edition, Amritsar edition).

Shivpreet’s long-running blog hosts his translations of poetry from Hindi, Punjabi, Brajbhasha, Urdu, and Farsi, along with close readings of poets like Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, and Kabir. His recent commentary on Sukhmani Sahib explores themes of transcendence and self-dissolution in relation to the Sikh concept of the Brahmgyani.

Poetry and Publishing

Though immersed in poetry for decades, Singh began submitting his own poems in 2025. His first publication, “Moondrunk on Diwali”, appeared in Rattle in October 2025. His poems are often meditative conversations with poets he studies, exploring themes of longing, devotion, impermanence, and joy.

Philanthropy and the DhunAnand Foundation

Shivpreet is the founder of the DhunAnand Foundation, which supports artists working at the intersection of creativity, climate, and peace. All proceeds from his music and writing fund the foundation’s activities.

In 2023, the foundation initiated quarterly seminars celebrating the Vyshyvanka spirit, offering grants and showcasing artists affected by the war in Ukraine. On Earth Day, the foundation honored artists using their work to raise awareness about climate change and peace.

Business and Finance Career

Before devoting himself full-time to creative and philanthropic work, Singh was a prominent biotech equity analyst. He was ranked among the top three biotech analysts in the U.S. by Forbes and was featured in Barron’s for his biotechnology sector insight.He led strategy and investor relations at Spectrum Pharmaceutical, and his financial commentaries included reports on biotechology industry including companies like Amgen (Forbes) and Genentech (NY Times), as covered in The New York Times and East Bay Times (Genentech profits article).