24 Facts About Nishat Khan

Nishat Khan was born on 25 October 1960 in Park Circus area of Kolkata, India in a house on a road named after his grandfather 'Ustad Enayat Khan Avenue'.

Nishat Khan is the son of the sitar player Imrat Khan and the nephew of the legendary sitar player Vilayat Khan, who come from the leading family of instrumental music in the North Indian classical tradition, the Etawah gharana.

Nishat Khan was always around music and there was no conversation without it, all his entertainment was centered on music.

Nishat learned from his father and his guru, responsible for initiating his career, though his uncle Vilayat Khan was a great influence and inspiration for him.

Nishat Khan even skipped school to play sitar, and his father agreed to let him practice instead.

Nishat Khan was the youngest performer ever to play on the All India Radio at the age of 13.

Nishat Khan established an international career touring extensively and collaborating with world-class artists such as John McLaughlin, Philip Glass, Paco Pena, Evelyn Glennie, Carlos Santana and Django Bates.

Nishat Khan first performed live in a duet with John McLaughlin in 1986 in Italy, who subsequently featured him on his 1993 album The Promise.

Nishat Khan has composed and recorded sitar and vocals on the rock song Love is the Answer by Weezer in 2009.

Nishat Khan has performed at major venues internationally, including Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center in New York, the Royal Albert Hall in London, and for Pope John Paul II at the Vatican.

In October 2010, Nishat Khan worked on the concept of Melange, a fusion-jazz show that features an eclectic mix of musicians from all around the world and performed at Tata Theatre, NCPA.

Nishat Khan was Invited to perform for the President of India at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Nishat Khan gave the US premiere of the work in February 2018, with the Seattle Symphony.

Nishat Khan has collaborated with the artist-sculptor Anish Kapoor in London.

Nishat Khan performed at the Barbican Hall in London the same year.

Nishat Khan opened the Sixth Edition of the Delhi Classical Music Festival in October 2017.

Nishat Khan was invited to perform at the prestigious US Ravinia Festival, UK Aldeburgh Festival, and the Viree Festival in Montreal, Canada.

The son and disciple of Imrat Khan, Nishat stands at the threshold of the future of sitar and Indian music with his uniquely invigorating, contemporary approach.

Nishat Khan's groundbreaking album Meeting of Angels with Gregorian chant Ensemble Gilles Binchois and sitar has become one of the most successful world music albums and a unique collaboration, which was performed at the Proms in 2008 with the BBC Singers, and subsequently toured around the world with top choirs.

Nishat Khan was invited to puff his piece beforehand and did so fulsomely, describing his instrument as 'the unknown traveler introducing a mystical and positive energy'.

Nishat Khan has been touring continuously since the age of 17 and has resided in India, Italy, France, UK and the United States.

Nishat Khan was an invited Visiting Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2003 and California State University at Long Beach in 2005.

Nishat Khan has lectured at universities around the world, including College of DuPage, UMass Amherst, UC Santa Cruz, Princeton University, Kent State University, Dartington College of Arts in London, Hochschule der Kunste in Berlin and many other prestigious institutions.

Nishat Khan has three brothers who are themselves accomplished musicians, and one sister.