Sarod Grand Master Ustad Amjad Ali Khan

Amjad Ali Khan stands among the world’s most revered masters of classical music. Born into a legendary musical lineage as the son of sarod virtuoso Haafiz Ali Khan, he gave his first public performance at the tender age of six. Renowned for revolutionizing the technique of sarod playing, he has shaped a career that spans over six illustrious decades.
He is a recipient of the UNESCO Award, Padma Vibhushan (Highest Indian civilian award), Unicef’s National Ambassadorship, The Crystal Award by the World Economic Forum and Hon’ry Doctorates from the Universities of York in 1997, England, Delhi University in 1998, Rabindra Bharati University in 2007, Kolkata and the Vishva Bharti (Deshikottam) in Shantiniketan in 2001. He has represented India in the first World Arts Summit in Venice in 1991, received Hon’ry Citizenship to the States of Texas (1997), Massachusetts (1984), Tennessee (1997), the city of Atlanta, Georgia (2002), Albuquerque, NM (2007)and the Key of the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Fort Lauderdale, Miami. April 20th, 1984 was declared as Amjad Ali Khan Day in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1995, Mr. Khan awarded the Gandhi UNESCO Medal in Paris for his composition Bapukauns. In 2003,the maestro received “Commander of the Order of Arts and letters” by the French Government and the Fukuoka Cultural grand prize in Japan in 2004.His groundbreaking sarod concerto Samaagam has been performed by leading orchestras across the globe, such as the Britten Sinfonia, Orchestre National d’Île-de-France, Orchestre d’Auvergne, London Philharmonia, Gulbenkian Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony, Welsh National Opera, Atlanta Symphony, and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
As an educator, he has shared his knowledge at institutions including Stanford University, the University of New Mexico, and the Jacobs School of Music. In recognition of his artistic excellence and contributions to global music, he was awarded the Gold Medal at the Global Music Awards.
In 2018, Amjad Ali Khan headlined the United Nations Day Concert alongside his sons, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, and the Refugee Orchestra Project. The concert, dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, embraced the theme of “Traditions of Peace and Non-Violence” and was held in the presence of UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
In a unique collaboration bridging genres, Khan joined Gwen Stefani and Jon Bon Jovi for VetsAid, the charity concert organized by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Joe Walsh, in both 2020 and 2021. Together with Walsh, he released a three-song EP titled Prayers, honoring doctors and frontline workers during the pandemic.
In a recent tribute to his extraordinary legacy, the city of San Diego officially declared April 13 as Amjad Ali Khan Day.

Amaan Ali Bangash

Amaan Ali Bangash, is the eldest son and disciple of the Sarod Maestro Amjad Ali Khan and grandson of Haafiz Ali Khan. He belongs to the seventh generation in an unbroken chain of the Senia Bangash School. He was initiated by his father into the fine art of Sarod playing and gave his first public performance at age eight. Amaan’s musical style is marked by its precision in tunefulness, bold and resonant strokes, along with tradition and continuity of Indian Classical Music. Amaan’s performances have evoked creditable applause. Today, Amaan is considered one of the finest Sarod players in the world and has obtained a very special place for himself among music enthusiasts across continents. He is an inspiration for the younger generation of musicians. He continues to enchant audiences with his virtuosity, sheer brilliance and charismatic stage presence.
Amaan has performed at numerous main stream venues in India and around the world. In 1986, he performed at the Festival of India in Moscow. Thereafter, he made his UK debut in 1990 and his US debut in New York at the Asia Society in 1991. He performed for the Temenos academy at St. James Palace in London for HRH Prince of Wales in 1995, 1997 and 2003. Amaan hosted a music series on Zee TV called ‘Sa Re Ga Ma’, with his brother, Ayaan, from 2001-2012. .In 2001 and 2002 he also took part at the Summer Arts Festival in Seattle and the Edinburgh Festival in the UK, he performed with Cellist Matthew Barley and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain along with a series of workshops and also worked on his album ‘Strings Attached’ with A Matthew Barley, in July 2002. He released his solo album titled ‘Amaan’, in 2002.Upon reviewing this album, Songlines World music magazine said that he was a “worthy heir to his father’s crown.” Amaan did an Australian Tour in 1999 and 2003 where he played at the World Beat Festival in Brisbane, Opera House in Sydney and the WOMAD Festival in New Plymouth and Adelaide. Amaan has also preformed regularly at the Palais beaux-arts in Brussels; the ESPLANADE in Singapore; the Chicago Symphony Center, the Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center in the USA; the Womad and Salisbury Festival and the Enescu Festival in Bucharest; and the Royal Festival Hall and Barbican Center in the UK.

Pandit Tanmoy Bose

Pandit Tanmoy Bose, an extraordinary maestro of rhythm, is celebrated globally for his pioneering artistry and international acclaim. His journey to global fame began in his early 20s, performing with stalwarts like Bharat Ratna Pt. Ravi Shankar, Padma Vibhushan Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Padma Vibhushan Dr. L. Subramaniam, Padma Vibhushan Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia & many more stalwarts of yester years and his generation.
He has graced iconic venues worldwide to name a few, including Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, Berlin Philharmonie, and Sydney Opera House, Frankfrut Opera House, Wellington Town Hall, Chicago Symphony Center, Royal Albert Hall, Barbican Centre, Theatre du Champs-Élysées captivating audiences with his unique blend of Indian classical and global rhythms. His ground breaking projects — Taaltantra, Baul & Beyond, Rhythmania, Dhwani, and Drumz Dreamz—have redefined world music by seamlessly integrating Indian traditions with jazz, folk, and indigenous forms.
His journey began with a strong foundation in Indian classical music. Pandit Bose received tabla training under Pt. Kanai Dutta and Pt. Shankar Ghosh, harmonium training under Pt. Montu Banerjee and Pt. Maharaj Banerjee, and also studied vocal music extensively. These influences have deeply shaped his versatile and innovative approach to rhythm and melody.
Pandit Bose’s collaborations with Pt. Ravi Shankar and Anoushka Shankar on Grammy winning and nominated albums, such as Full Circle: Carnegie Hall and The Living Room Sessions Part 1, underscore his stature as a cultural icon. He has also made significant contributions to Bengali folk traditions, bringing forms like Dhaak, Dhamsha, and Baul musicto the global stage. His immense contributions to music have earned him accolades like the Sangeet Mahasamman (Govt. of West Bengal), the Sri Chinmoy Culture-Light Award in New York, and the BrandEdge Bengal-to-Nation Award and many more. He has scoredmusic for many feature films, documentaries & theatres.
A trailblazer in rhythmic innovation, Bose’s works are rooted in Indian ethos while embracing universal appeal. He is celebrated as a television presenter, educator, and cultural advocate, mentoring countless artists and promoting inclusivity in music.
Pandit Tanmoy Bose continues to inspire global audiences, bridging the classical and the contemporary, and creating a vibrant legacy of rhythm, creativity, and cultural dialogue.

Vid. Giridhar Udupa

Synonymous with the ghatam, world-renowned percussionist Ghatam Giridhar Udupa is one of the most loved names in the field of music. With three decades of musical journey enriched by collaborations with eminent artists across the world, concert visits to more than fifty countries and numerous accolades and awards, Udupa today stands as a true global icon, an ambassador of world music, and a pioneering exponent of Carnatic Classical Music.
His journey started at the age of 4, when he took to percussions under the mentorship of his father Vidwan Ullur Nagendra Udupa and later under Vidhushi Sukkanya Ramgopal and Vidwan V Suresh. Rooted firmly in the tradition of Carnatic Classical Music, Udupa has extensively widened the boundaries of his repertoire with a wide range of pathbreaking collaborations.
He is the founder and director of “The Udupa Foundation”, a registered charitable trust founded in 2015, with the aim of promoting music, performing arts and culture.
He is the Brand Ambassador for Harman AKG Microphones.
He is one of the few musicians from India to perform at the prestigious “United Nations” in March 2011. He has performed at the most prestigious venues in the world including Carnegie Hall – New York (USA), Sydney Opera House – Sydney (Australia), The Kennedy Centre – Washington D.C. (USA), Royal Festival Hall – London (UK), Wortham Centre – Houston (USA), and others.
He has accompanied eminent South Indian Classical Musicians including Sarvashree M.Balamuralikrishna, M.S.Gopalkrishnan, R.K.Srikantan, T.N.Krishnan, T.K.Murthy, Palghat Raghu, Umayalpuram K.Sivaraman, Guru Karaikudi R Mani, L.Subramaniam, N.Ramani, K.J.Yesudas, T.V.Gopalkrishnan, Mysore Nagaraj & Mysore Manjunath, V Kamalakar Rao, Yella Venkateswara Rao, Nedunuri Krishnamurthy, R.Vishveshwaran, Ganesh & Kumaresh, A.V.Anandh, T.V. Sankaranarayanan, T.N.Seshagopalan, A.K.Palanivel, Trichy Sankaran, Srimushnam Raja Rao, Thiruvarur Bhakthavatsalam, A.K.C Natarajan, Mandolin Srinivas, Chitravina Ravikiran, R.K.Padmanabha, Jayanthi Kumaresh, R.K.Suryanarayana, Basavanagudi G Nataraj, T M Krishna, Sanjay Subrahmanyan, Aruna Sairam, Sudha Raghunathan, Bombay Jayashri, M S Sheela and others.
Apart from playing authentic Carnatic Classical music, he has performed in many Hindustani Classical, Fusion, Jazz, Blues, Flamenco, Celtic Music, Latin Music, Arabic Music, Japanese Music, Talavadya (Percussion Ensemble), Bollywood Music, European Folk Music, Symphony Orchestra, and has been part of numerous International Music Festivals with renowned Indian Musicians like Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ustad Sultan Khan, Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Pandit Birju Maharaj, Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, Ustad Shahid Parvez, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, Pandit Kumar Bose, Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani, Loy Mendonsa, Hariharan, Trilok Gurtu, Sivamani, Ranjit Barot, Louis Banks, Niladri Kumar, Ronu Majumdar, Taufiq Qureshi, Fazal Qureshi, Amit Heri, Lucky Ali, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Bikram Ghosh, Rahul Sharma, and Western Musicians like John Mclaughlin, Larry Coryell, Hubert Laws, Ernie Watts, Airto Moreira, John Kaizan Neptune, Lewis Pragasam and others. He has also worked with many leading music directors from the Film industry in India.
Udupa is part of his own Carnatic World Music band “Layatharanga”, Flamenco band “Indialucia” and Carnatic-Jazz cross over European band “Saagara”. Udupa has been a part of several global symphonic and chamber orchestras around the world – Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (USA), Kwazulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra (South Africa), State Philharmonic Orchestra of Sibiu (Romania), Sinfonia Baltica (Poland), Leipzig Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra (Germany) and Royal Symphony Orchestra of Oman.
Udupa has given concerts under the auspices of prestigious Sabhas all over India and abroad, including USA, UK, Canada, South Africa, Brazil, Columbia, China, Australia, Russia, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, France, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Norway, Italy, Austria, Finland, Turkey, Ireland, Slovenia, Czech Republic, New Zealand, Luxembourg, Romania, Ukraine, Indonesia, Mauritius, Re Union Island, Singapore, Malaysia, Bangkok, Dubai, Muscat, Doha, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Iran, Morocco and Kuwait.
Music lovers from across the globe celebrate the finesse of his fingering, the dexterity and speed of his intricate rhythmic designs, and his contagious energy and charm on the stage.