Biography

Nishat Khan is universally acknowledged as a leading sitar player of his time, transcending musical barriers with his provocative expression and spellbinding technical mastery. The son and disciple of Ustad Imrat Khan Nishat Khan stands at the threshold of the future of sitar and Indian music with his uniquely invigorating, contemporary approach.
Born in Kolkata, he has been dazzling audiences since the age of seven, and was the youngest performer ever to play All-India Radio at the age of thirteen.
His virtuosity has been compared to such luminaries as Jimi Hendrix (Chicago Sun Times) and J.S. Bach (Washington Times) because of the ingenious and deeply personal interpretation of his rich musical heritage.

Exemplifying the humanity and universality of music, Nishat Khan has mastered not only the North Indian classical idiom but has also worked with musics diverse as Gregorian chant, Western classical music, jazz, and Flamenco. His sensitive phrasing and remarkable intuition has led to collaborations with the world’s leading performers and composers such as John McLaughlin, Philip Glass, Paco Pena, Evelyn Glennie.
Nishat recently composed for his first Bollywood film with the acclaimed director Sudhir Mishra “Yeh Saali Zindagi” which had tremendous success!!

He has performed at major venues internationally, including Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center in New York, and the Royal Albert Hall in London. In January 2004, the President of Croatia received Maestro Khan in Zagreb, where he performed “Meeting of Angels” with Gregorian chant. Later that year, he was invited to perform alongside Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Jeff Beck, John McLaughlin and others at the Crossroads Festival in Dallas, Texas. In Summer 2007 he toured across India in a fiery fusion with violinist Vanessa Mae. In 2008 he toured Europe with his pioneering project, “Spirit & Passion” featuring Flamenco guitar great Paco Pena and his ensemble. In 2008 Nishat made Indian music history performing for the second time for the Henry Wood Promenade Art Concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

In April 2002, Maestro Khan received an award for his inspiration and dedication to humanity from a foundation linked to the United Nations (past recipients included Sting and Nelson Mandela). In August 2002, he was invited to perform at the Japanese Parliament DIET in Tokyo where his concert marked the 50th Anniversary of Indo-Japanese diplomatic relations. He received an award for his dedication and musical excellence from the Pacific Asia Museum in Los Angeles in October 2004. In 2005 he was honored with a U.S. Congressional Award for Contribution to Culture and Community. He has taught at UCLA and many other prestigious universities, and routinely conducts master classes internationally.

Nishat Khan’s trademark sitar playing is most lyrical, as is evident in all his music. He masterfully extends this lyricism into developing further his family’s hallmark sitar and surbahar playing, pioneered by his forefathers in an unbroken lineage of seven generations.

Last year, 2013, Nishat Khan was commissioned by the BBC to play at the Royal Albert Hall in London his own sitar concerto,”Gate of the Moon” with the BBC Philharmonic.
In November 2013, Nishat opened the International Film Festival of India with a grand duet performance with the legendary Kathak dancer maestro Birju Maharaj in Goa.

The maestro has dedicated himself to preserving and teaching this musical tradition. He has taught at UCLA and many other prestigious universities and routinely conducts master classes internationally.

‘An accomplished sitarist. He has cultivated a wealth of microtonal inflections which credited the music with a characteristic mood and emphasis…fascinating.’ Times, UK

‘His freewheeling virtuosity focusing attention on a single melodic line inflected with infinite imaginative variety.’ BBC Proms 2008, The Guardian