What will you hear? A beautiful performance featuring the sarod, a musical instrument used in Indian classical music.

“Amjad Ali Khan may be a master of the sarod rather than the guitar, but once he had built up to the crescendo of his solo set — improvising furiously around the melody line with repeated, rapid-fire playing and then letting his equally frantic tabla player take over — it was easy to see why great Indian music can be as exciting as classic blues and rock.” (The Guardian)

UMS welcomes sarod master Amjad Ali Khan for his UMS debut appearance this season. The sarod is smaller than the sitar and sits in the player’s lap. Its metal fingerboard has no frets and is played with the tips of the fingernails.

Amjad Ali Khan was only six years old when he gave his first sarod recital. After his debut, the career of this musical legend took off, and the Indian classical music scene was witness to regular and scintillating bursts of Raga supernovas. He was born to the illustrious Bangash lineage rooted in the Senia Bangash School and studied with his father and guru, the great Haafiz Ali Khan. Today he shoulders the sixth generation inheritance of this legendary lineage — and his sons, who perform with him, belong to the seventh generation.

Program:
Program Book [PDF]

Also see:
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan website

Amjad Ali Khan will be making his UMS debut this season, performing with his two sons, the seventh generation of musicians in their family. Amjad gave his first recital at age 6. He was taught to play by his father and guru, the great Kaafiz Ali Khan. In his case, the term “beauty of the Ragas” acquires a special meaning as he has to his credit the distinction of having created many new Ragas. It is his love for music and his belief in his music that has enabled him to interpret traditional notions of music in new and refreshing ways, reiterating the challenge of innovation and yet respecting the timelessness of tradition.

Related UMS Education & Community Engagement Events

1/28: UMS Night School Session 5: Global Beats in the Aisles
2/2: Hill Auditorium Celebration

Performance trailer