Sarod virtuoso Wajahat Khan - live, Barbican Centre London

India's renowned Sarod maestro Wajahat Khan in concert, presented by the distinguished British composer Nigel Osborne. Live at the Barbican Centre in London, excerpts from Raag Durga, accompanied by Pt. Chandra Mohan on the tabla. Ustad Wajahat Khan is one of the most outstanding sarod maestros of India. Son and nephew of Ustad Imrat Khan and Ustad Vilayat Khan, legendary maestros of the sitar/surbahar, he belongs to one of the world's most celebrated musical families, which goes back 400 years to the courts of Emperor Akbar in the 16th century. He has performed to great acclaim in over 40 countries worldwide, with a growing reputation as one of the most accomplished Indian classical musicians of his generation. Wajahat Khan started his training from his father at the age of 3, studying singing, sitar & surbahar in his family's tradition, and later the sarod. He started his career as a child prodigy vocalist in 1977, but soon went on to become the first sarod player of his distinguished musical dynasty (known as Imdadkhani gharana or Etawah gharana), which has profoundly influenced and shaped the course of North Indian instrumental music right up to the present day. The family is also responsible for the evolution of the sitar, the creation of the surbahar (bass sitar), and the introduction of the gayeki-ang (vocal manner of playing instruments). Based in London and Kolkata, Wajahat Khan has performed at prestigious international venues, such as the Smithsonian (Washington DC), Symphony Hall (Berlin), Suntori Hall (Tokyo), Queen Elizabeth Hall and Royal Albert Hall (BBC Proms, London). His memorable performances at many international festivals include the Hong Kong International Arts Festival, Istanbul Festival, Festival de Nantes, Greece-India Festival, Festival of India in Russia. British festivals include Spitalfields Festival (for 9 consecutive years), and festivals of Aldeburgh, Glastonbury, Canterbury, Windsor Castle, Glasgow, Royal Pavilion in Brighton and the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts (BBC Proms) in London. The many music conferences in India include Sajan Milap and IMG St. Xavier's Conference in Bombay, Baba Harballabh Sangeet Mahasabha in Jalandhar, Saptak Music Conference in Ahmedabad, Sadarang Sangeet Samaroh and Dover Lane Music Conference in Kolkata, and the Spic-macay concert series in New Delhi as well as their other centres in India, to name but a few. Wajahat Khan is also a composer and has accomplished numerous acclaimed collaborations with Western classical, jazz, flamenco and opera; including 3 unique sarod-concertos and award-winning sarod-quintets, working with leading international artists and ensembles, such as the London Sinfonietta, Halle Symphony Orchestra, Cape Philharmonic, Scottish Opera, the Medici and Carducci String Quartet. He has taught, lectured and been Artist in Residence at prestigious educational institutions globally, including the Middlesex University and the SOAS, University of London. Ustad Wajahat Khan has energised the sarod performance repertoire with his revolutionary contributions, along with the intricate and fluid musical styles evolved by generations of his family, as well as pioneering world-music collaborations. Whilst preserving the ancient traditions, he brings his own visionary innovations to the styles and techniques of the sarod, including his adaptation of the four-string technique of the surbahar to the sarod, thereby adding new dimensions to this magnificent instrument. With the addition of an extra base string, he uniquely uses seven pegs on the head of his instrument, instead of the conventional six or eight pegs used by other contemporary masters. His distinctive style and virtuoso technique, which has acquired him worldwide appraisal, interweaves a wide spectrum of dhrupad, khayal and thumri (vocal) forms with authentic sarod baaj (repertoire), spanning a full range of feeling and expression. Website: www.wajahatkhan.com.