Till recently Dhrupad was played and sung by men only. Marianne Svasek is one of the few women who practise Dhrupad. She studied Indian classical singing at the Rotterdam Conservatory with Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and Uday Bhawalkar. Since 1994 she is being taught in India by Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar. The Dagar family has been performing in the Dhrupad tradition for over 20 generations.

Marianne Svasek also studied sarangi ( a string instrument with three main and 35 resonating strings) with Joep Bor and Pandit Ram Narayan. She graduated cum laude in both disciplines at the Rotterdam Conservatory where she is presently teaching. Marianne gives workshops and concerts in Europe, the US, India and Pakistan.