Bidyut Khan
Encyclopedia
Bidyut Khan is a Bengali
Sarod
player.
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.
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.
at Kolkata in West Bengal, India.
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
Sarod
Sarod
The sarod is a stringed musical instrument, used mainly in Indian classical music. Along with the sitar, it is the most popular and prominent instrument in the classical music of Hindustan...
player.
Family and early life
Khan is the elder son of sarodSarod
The sarod is a stringed musical instrument, used mainly in Indian classical music. Along with the sitar, it is the most popular and prominent instrument in the classical music of Hindustan...
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
Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan , often referred to as Khansahib or by the title Ustad , was a Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod...
(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
Kirit Khan
Ustad Kirit Khan was a talented Sitar player of the Indian subcontinent. He was born on 29 October 1955 in Comilla, Bangladesh and later settled in Kolkata, India. He comes of an internationally renowned illustrious family of musicians of Bangladesh, which produced a galaxy of famous classical...
and his cousins Ustad Shahadat Hossain Khan
Shahadat Hossain Khan
Ustad Shahadat Hossain Khan was born in Comilla, Bangladesh, on July 1958. He is the only son of Ustad Abed Hossain Khan. He comes of a family of great musicians of the sub-continent...
and Reenat Fauzia
Reenat Fauzia
Born in 1967, Reenat Fauzia, a noted Sitarist, daughter of Mobarak Hossain Khan, a distinguished musicologist and litterateur, and a renowned Surbahar artiste, and Fauzia Khan, famous vocal artiste, comes of an internationally renowned family of musicians of Bangladesh...
.
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
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes 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
Hafiz Ali Khan
Hafiz Ali Khan was an Indian Sarod player. He was a tall figure in twentieth-century sarod music. A fifth-generation descendant of the famous Bangash Gharana of sarod players, Hafiz Ali was known for the lyrical beauty of his music and the crystal-clear tone of his strokes...
Memorial Society, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
; 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
Wazir Khan
Wazir Khan,Shaikh Ilam-ud-din Ansari , a native of Chiniot, who rose to be a minor court physician to Shah Jahan in Lahore, was a Mughal noble, who was the Subedar of Sirhind, he personally commanded an army of over 30,000 men consisting mainly of Muslim Rajputs.Wazir Khan is noted for his...
, 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
Maihar
Maihar is a city and a municipality in Satna district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Maihar is known for the temple of revered mother goddess Sharda situated on Trikuta hill of Maihar.- Origin :...
Estate in Central Province, India).
Bidyut is actively involved in propagating the art through Ustad Bahadur Khan Music Circle in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. 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 UniversityRabindra Bharati University
Rabindra Bharati University is a university in Kolkata, India. It was founded on May 8, 1962, under the Rabindra Bharati Act of the Government of West Bengal in 1961, to mark the birth centenary of the poet Rabindranath Tagore...
at Kolkata in West Bengal, India.