Murad Ali Khan

Murad Ali Khan is the grandson of the wonderful Moradabad sarangiya Siddiqi Ahmed Khan and the son of Ghulam Sabir Khan. He learned mainly from his grandfather. He was already an accomplished sarangi player at the age of 20 when I met him in Delhi, and he was just becoming a sought-after accompanist. After several months accompanying Rashid Khan, he began to get widespread work accompanying singers. As was typical of young sarangi players at this time, the stylistic influence of Sultan Khan, a robust thickness of sound, can be heard in his playing. Sultan Khan’s powerful playing justifiably captured young players’ imaginations, but also so his being perceived as eminently successful, touring around the world with the tabla wizard Sultan Khan.

Murad Ali has captivated audiences at the Darbar Festival with his soulful sarangi performances in 2010, 2012, and 2017. Showcasing his mastery of this evocative instrument, he has collaborated with esteemed artists such as Shruti Sadolikar Katkar, Vishwanath Shirodkar, Pandit Ram Deshpande, and Manjusha Kulkarni-Patil. His performances beautifully highlight the expressive depth of the sarangi, making him a cherished presence at the festival.

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