Ustad Ali Akbar Khan (1922-2009) was a legendary Indian musician and sarod player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest Indian classical musicians of the 20th century. He was born in Shibpur, now in Bangladesh, into a musical family and was the eldest son of the legendary musician Ustad Allauddin Khan. He began his music training at a young age, studying both vocal and instrumental music under his father’s guidance.
As a child prodigy, he began performing in public concerts from a young age, and soon became known for his masterful command over the sarod. In 1955, he moved to the United States and began touring extensively, introducing Indian classical music to Western audiences and earning worldwide recognition for his virtuosic performances.
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan was known for his unique style of playing the sarod, which combined the traditional techniques of the instrument with his own innovations. He was a master of the alap, the slow and meditative introductory section of a raga, and was also known for his fast-paced taans and intricate rhythmic patterns.
Over the course of his career, he recorded over 100 albums and collaborated with a wide range of musicians from different genres, including jazz saxophonist John Handy, guitarist Carlos Santana, and violinist Yehudi Menuhin.
In addition to his performances, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan was a highly respected teacher, and many of his students went on to become accomplished musicians in their own right. He founded the Ali Akbar College of Music in California in 1967, which remains one of the premier institutions for the study of Indian classical music in the United States.
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan received numerous awards and honors during his lifetime, including India’s second highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, and a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant.” He passed away in 2009 at the age of 87, leaving behind a rich legacy as one of the greatest exponents of Indian classical music.