Bidyut Khan

Bidyut Khan is a Bengali Sarod player.
Family and early life
Khan is the elder son of sarod player Ustad Bahadur Khan. Other notable members of the family are his grandfather Ustad Ayet Ali Khan, Ustad Dr. Alauddin Khan (Ayet Ali Khan's elder brother), Ustad Dr. Ali Akbar Khan (Alauddin Khan's son), Shrimati Annapurna Devi (Alauddin Khan's daughter), Pandit Ravi Shankar (Annapurna's husband of first marriage), his younger brother Ustad Kirit Khan and his cousins Ustad Shahadat Hossain Khan and Reenat Fauzia.
He was born in Comilla, Bangladesh, and started learning tabla at the age of three from his grandfather Ustad Ayet Ali Khan. He moved to Kolkata with his father when he was nine. There he started learning the tabla under Pandit Shamta Prasad and later under Pandit Anil Bhattacharya for a few years until the age of thirteen when he formally took over the sarod from his grandfather at a family ceremony. His guru was his father who introduced him to the world of Indian Classical Music. But before he could really place his son at a comfortable place to command the art, he died aged fifty nine in 1989. After that Bidyut Khan completed his own graduation in science, even in the midst of his musical preoccupation; music being the lifeline of his family.
Career and achievements
In 1998 he was awarded the best Musician's award by the All India Critics Association, which is an independent body of critics and recognizes personalities who makes significant contribution to various fields of art, culture, politics etc.
As a performing artist he participated in music conferences and concerts such as: The Dover lane Music Conference in Kolkata, where gems of Indian Classical world take part every year for the last 56 years ; Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan Memorial Society, New Delhi; Sadarang Music Conference ; Surdas Sangeet Sammelan ; Srirampur Music Conference, Swar Vistar Music and Dance Conference etc.
In 2002-2003 he toured extensively in Europe to perform in various music conferences of Indian Classical Music held in various cities of Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Holland and England.
His training continues the legacy of the 'Seni' gharana, that is traced back to Ustad Wazir khan, a descendant of Mian Tansen, the famous gem of the court of Mughal Emperor Akbar. This gharana is currently more popularly known as 'Alauddin Gharana' (following Ustad Alauddin Khan's legendary contribution) or 'Seni-Maihar Gharana' (following Alauddin Khan's connection with Maihar since he was the court musician of Brijnath Singh Maharaja of Maihar Estate in Central Province, India).
Bidyut is actively involved in propagating the art through Ustad Bahadur Khan Music Circle in Kolkata. He continues to reside in the same old residence in Palm Avenue, Kolkata.
Teaching
He has been teaching sarod in 'Bahadur Khan Music Circle', where other Indian Classical Instruments are taught. He also was a part-time lecturer in Indian classical Instrumental (Sarod) Music at prestigious Rabindra Bharati University at Kolkata in West Bengal, India.
Contribution to Indian Music
He is an active member of Bahadur Khan Music Circle in Kolkata, which is a forum to nurture young talents in Instrumental in Indian Classical Music and conducts a music festival each year commemorating the death anniversary of his father, where talented new artists are given a scope besides staging eminent Indian artists.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu