Renowned sarod maestro Aashish Khan, 84, dies in US

Aashish Khan, the legendary sarod maestro who popularised the instrument the world over and collaborated with international musicians like George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Ringo Starr, has died, his family said.

In Short

• Legendary sarod maestro Aashish Khan passed away at 84 in Los Angeles
• Khan was a key figure in Indian classical music and taught worldwide
• He was nominated for a Grammy and received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award

Aashish Khan, the legendary sarod maestro who popularised the instrument world over and collaborated with international musicians like George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Ringo Starr, has died, his family said.

The 84-year-old musician breathed his last at a hospital in Los Angeles in the US on Thursday, surrounded by family, friends, and students, his brother Alam Khan said in an Instagram post.

"My eldest brother, maestro of the Sarod and khalifa of the Maihar Gharana, Ustad Aashish Khan, has passed away. He was surrounded by love from family, friends, and students in Los Angeles for the past two days at the hospital as he departed this world.

"Aashish Da was an incredible and powerful sarodist and composer whose music has inspired many musicians and listeners. He was a beloved guru and teacher to so many students around the world and he will be deeply missed," Alam Khan posted.

Khan's nephew Shiraz Khan also shared the news on Instagram.

"We have been blessed to have him in our lives and he will remain in our hearts forever. #ustadaashishkhan," he said.

Khan's initiation in sarod began at a young age and he showcased a talent for the instrument.

Born in 1939 in Maihar, Madhya Pradesh, Khan trained under the guidance of his grandfather Ustad Allauddin Khan, the founder of the "Senia Maihar Gharana", as well as his father Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and aunt Annapurna Devi.

He played a pivotal role in bringing Indian classical music to global audiences, captivating listeners and inspiring students worldwide.

In 1989, following in the footsteps of icons like Pandit Ravi Shankar and Pannalal Ghosh, he was named composer and conductor of the All India Radio's Vadya Vrinda ensemble.

He also collaborated with legendary Western artistes such as George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Charles Lloyd, and Alice Coltrane.

Khan worked extensively under Pandit Ravi Shankar and contributed to the soundtracks of Satyajit Ray's "Apur Sansar", "Parash Pathar", "Jalsaghar" and Richard Attenborough's "Gandhi".

He also composed scores for films such as David Lean's "A Passage to India", "The Man Who Would Be King" by John Huston and Tapan Sinha's "Jotugriha".

Khan formed his own Indo-jazz band "Shanti" with tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain in the 1960s, a project which was a great success.

Khan was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2006 for the 'Best Traditional World Music Album' category for his album "Golden Strings of the Sarode".

He was felicitated with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the country's highest honour for performing arts, in 2004.

"Sangeet Natak Akademi and its associate bodies deeply mourn the sad demise of Aashish Khan, an eminent Hindustani musician, a player of the sarod, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee. He passed away yesterday.

"Heartfelt condolences to the bereaved ones and prayers to the Almighty to give them enough strength to bear this irreparable loss," the organisation posted on its social media handles.

Khan also established a school under his name in Kolkata, the Aashish Khan School of World Music, and taught at various universities in the US, including Ali Akbar College of Music (California), the University of Washington (Seattle), and University of Alberta in Canada.