Nishat Khan
With the strike of a single, unmistakable note, the sound of Nishat Khan’s sitar instantly captivates and transforms one’s mood. Listeners are transported to another realm by a sight and sound unlike any other. As a torchbearer of the most recorded musical family in the world, the Imdad Khani Gharana, seven generations of wisdom reside in his fingertips. While grounded in centuries of tradition, Nishat forges his own signature sound with a refreshing twist: familiar yet challenging, unfolding with emotional contrasts and surprises at every turn.
Having toured all over the world since age 13, his unique cosmopolitan perspective has inspired a great sensitivity and connection to the philosophies and music of the world. In addition to his solo works, Nishat’s dedication to uniting the cultures of east and west has fostered collaborations with renowned artists such as Evelynn Glennie, Paco Peña, John McLaughlin, and Vox Clamantis.
Nishat gave his first public concert at age 7, and was the youngest performer on an All India Radio national programme at age 15. Opening for the 100 Years of Indian Cinema celebration, he played his original live score for the classic 1920s silent film Throw of Dice.
He has been invited three times to the BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall and was commissioned by the BBC premiering his Sitar Concerto No. 1 “Gate of the Moon” with the BBC National Orchestra Wales at the Proms.
He has performed at major venues internationally including Carnegie Hall and performs regularly at the South Bank and Barbican Center.
Some of his most recent concerts include MIT’s Kresge Auditorium and with the Orchestra Symphony of Montreal, Lugano Switzerland, and his Sitar Concerto No. 1 with the Seattle Symphony. He has also performed for King Charles.
He has been a visiting Professor at UCLA for 2 years and subsequently lectured at some of the leading universities in the world including at Harvard, Princeton, and Cambridge UK. He also taught at Dartington College of Arts in England to name a few.
He won Best Album of the Year for his Indian Bollywood Album “Jaan Meri” in 2020.
In 2021 he premiered a specially commissioned piece for members of the Royal Family: a duet with one of the world’s leading artists, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason. Returning to the stage in November 2021, he performed to a full house at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. His latest concerts in 2023-24 included Theatre de la Ville, Paris, Symphony Space New York, Festival Dijon, Carnegie Hall and Royal Festival Hall in London.
Sold-out concerts include the Royal Opera House Muscat in Oman where he performed his Sitar Concerto “Gate of the Moon” with the European Symphonique in October 2024.
Press
“Profound and electrifying… pure exhilaration, taking tradition as a blueprint for ecstasy” – New York Times
“Etherial, compelling, sensual, Nishat Khan master of the sitar” – Los Angeles Times
“Freewheeling virtuosity inflected with infinite imaginative variety” -BBC Proms, – The Guardian
“Ferociously gifted… no conceivable limitations… his sitar roars, cries, and exults” -Times of India