Ustad Bidyut Khan

Ustad Bidyut Khan, hails from a great family of doyens of Indian Classical Music. He is the son of late Ustad Bahadur Khan and grandson of late Ustad Baba Alauddin Khan and late Ustad Ayet Ali Khan and nephew of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Pandit Ravishankar. Being amongst these great musicians of all times and born and brought up in this musical environment from childhood he started learning Tabla from another maestro Pt. Shamta Prasad at the age of nine. Then he finally started learning sarod from his father Ustad Bahadur Khan, when he was thirteen after a formal ceremony in presence of his grandfather Ustad Ayet Ali Khan, when his father handed over the sarod to him. After that there is no looking back. Under the able guidance of guru and father he kept on progressing. Although in his family and time, music was considered more important than education, he insisted on basic education and earned a bachelors degree in science. Later, besides performing in various prestigious Indian national music conferences like Dover Lane Music Conference (Calcutta), Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan Memorial Society (New Delhi), Sadarang Music Conference, Surdas Sangeet Sammelan (Music Conference) etc. to name a few, he also performed in various Indian Classical Music Conferences held in Europe including Norway, Italy, Denmark, Holland, Sweden, Germany and England in the year 2002 and 2003. He also has a lot of admirers in another culturally rich country, Bangladesh, for classical music and regularly visits that country to perform in various music concerts there. He has also performed in programs at All India Radio and Indian National Television, which were broadcast number of times. The All India Critics Association presented him with the best Musician's award in the year 1998. This Critics Association is an independent body that recognizes eminent personalities adjudging best performers in various fields of interests. He also organizes music festival every year through 'Ustad Bahadur Khan Music Circle' in Kolkata to commemorate his father's death anniversary. He also composed music for a Bengali dance drama in 1990. He possesses all the secrets of the magic of raga presentation and styles of renditions received from his father, forefathers and his family, as the classy flavor of music of his forefathers and uncles is clearly visible in his renditions. Presently he is actively involved in promoting Indian Classical Music through Ustad Bahadur Khan School of Music in Kolkata (West Bengal) and has been nurturing many local as well as overseas disciples. Thus the light of music from a great musical family in India shines and propagates through him and would continue for years to come.