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LIVESTREAM AVAILABLENishat Khan is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation for his inspiring and unique work, his masterful collaborations are truly connecting music globally.
With the strike of a single, unmistakable note, the sound of Nishat Khan’s sitar instantly captivates and transforms the mood. Listeners are transported to another realm by a music and sound unlike any other. As the 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 musics 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 Paco Peña, John McLaughlin, Evelyn Glennie, Vanessa Mae, and Vox Clamantis to name a few of his diverse collaborations.
Nishat gave his first public concert at age 7, and was the youngest ever performer on an All India Radio national programme at age 15. Opening for the 100 Years of Indian Cinema celebrations, he played his original live score for the classic 1920’s silent film Throw of Dice. He has been invited three times to the BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall: as a soloist, premiering his Sitar Concerto No. 1 "Gate of the Moon" with the BBC National Orchestra commissioned by the BBC. He has performed at major venues and festivals internationally including Carnegie Hall, and performs at the South Bank and Barbican Center regularly. Some of his recent concerts include MIT's Kresge Auditorium, UC Santa Cruz, Carnegie Hall, 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 in London.
In July 2025, he premiered his newest and most ambitious work, the Taj Mahal Opera, at the Grange Park Opera in London . The Opera has been a great success selling out two nights and with great critical acclaim. One of the most famous love stories of all time, it features his narration and sitar playing, along with an extravagant stage production and full orchestra. He won the 'Best Album of the Year' for his Indian Bollywood Album Jaan Meri in 2020. He has also played on the scores of international films such as Merchant Ivory's 'Heat and Dust' and for Bernardo Bertolucci's 'Little Buddha'
In celebration of what would have been Ustad Zakir Hussain’s 75th birthday, Ustad Nishat Khan will perform this special concert in tribute to his longtime friend and musical collaborator. In 2024 the global music world lost a luminary when Zakir Hussain passed away at the age of 73. It was also a great loss for the music community of the Bay Area to which Zakir had called home for many years.
Nishat Khan and Zakir Hussain’s musical collaborations go as far back as childhood and continued into adulthood as they both became considered masters of their instruments in their own right as they recorded seminal albums together and performed heralded concerts together throughout a music partnership that lasted decades.
For this special performance at The Freight Ustad Nishat Khan will perform days prior to what would have been Zakir’s 75th birthday honoring this long legacy and paying homage to one of the global music community’s most celebrated figures.
Nishat Khan will be accompanied by tabla.
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2020 Addison St, Berkeley, CA, United States, California 94704
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