Gharana
Maihar
✦
InstrumentSarod
TraditionHindustani
Legacy Profile(1922–2009)
Ustad
Ali Akbar Khan
Notable Students
Aashish KhanAlam KhanManik KhanRavi Shankar(Sitar)Nikhil Banerjee(Sitar)L. Subramaniam(Violin)Vilayat Khan(Sitar)Rajeev TaranathKen ZuckermanSharan Rani BackliwalBrij NarayanZakir Hussain(Tabla)
Click highlighted names to view their profiles
Biography
Ali Akbar Khan (14 April 1922 – 18 June 2009) was an Indian Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod. Trained by his father Allauddin Khan, he was a performer, composer, and teacher who was instrumental in popularizing Indian classical music in the West. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1989 and was a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship.
Profile last updated 2026-01-06