Nirmal Kumar Rout has been studying the pakhawaj since childhood. The majority of his training has been under Guru Sri Dhaneswar Swain and Guru Padmacharan Dehury. He also received guidance from Professor Mohini Mohan Patnaik and his parents, Guru Niranjan Rout and Guru Jyoti Rout, who are both accomplished Odissi dance teachers. Nirmal has performed extensively in the San Francisco Bay Area, Hawaii and New York. At present, he is collaborating with local Classical Indian artists, Arijit Mahalanabis and Raman Iyer, as well as accompanying Dr. Ratna Roy and the Urvasi Odissi Dance Company.