Vidya Shah is a composer and musician initially trained in Carnatic music, and later received guidance in the North Indian genres of Khayal (from Shubha Mudgal and Mujahid Hussain Khan), Thumri Dadra and Ghazal (from Shanti Hiranand). She has performed at national and international forums, including the Tansen Samaroh in Gwalior, The Kennedy Centre in Washington D.C, The Asia Society in New York and the British Museum in London.

A popular performer and a prolific composer, Shah has worked and performed with leading musicians, including Grammy Award-winning Ghatam Wizard Pt. Vikku Vinayakaram and electronica artists like Karsh Kale and MiDival Punditz. She is a recipient of the Charles Wallace Award and a Senior Fellowship from the Government of India for her project ‘Women on Record’, a performance highlighting the contributions of the forgotten women performers in the Gramophone era. Her performances include ‘The Last Mughal’ with author William Dalrymple, ‘Akhtari: The Life of Begum Akhtar’ and ‘Bas tu Hii’, a rendition of Sufiana Kalam.

She writes and speaks on music and is the author of Jalsa: Indian Women's Journey from the Salon to the Studio.She also features in a conversation series with artists on the National Television channel, where she has spoken to leading artists like Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pt. Birju Maharaj and Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma. She is the Nana Shirgaonkar Chair Professor for Indian Music at Goa University.