Alam Khan

Alam Khan is an Indian classical sarod player representing the Seni Maihar gharana, a lineage associated with some of the most influential figures in Hindustani instrumental music. He began his training at the age of seven under the close guidance of his father, Ali Akbar Khan, one of the foremost sarod masters of the 20th century. His learning followed the traditional guru–shishya system, emphasizing immersive, long-term study.

From the mid-1990s onward, Alam frequently accompanied his father in concerts worldwide, gaining early exposure to major stages and audiences. Between 1996 and 2006, he appeared at venues and festivals in India, North America, and Europe, including the Dover Lane Music Conference and the Lincoln Center Jazz Festival. These years helped establish his presence as a performing artist while deepening his grounding in the Maihar repertoire.

His solo career began to develop in the late 1990s. Over time, he came to be regarded as a leading representative of his gharana, noted for carrying forward the musical ideas and repertoire transmitted through his father’s lineage. Senior musicians such as Ravi Shankar, Vilayat Khan, Shivkumar Sharma, and Buddhadev Das Gupta have acknowledged his musicianship.

As a concert artist, Alam Khan has performed with prominent tabla players, including Swapan Chaudhuri, Zakir Hussain, and Anindo Chatterjee. His work extends beyond strict classical settings into collaborative and cross-genre projects. He has worked with artists and groups such as Vijay Iyer, Anoushka Shankar, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and San Francisco Symphony, among others. He is also a founding member of the ensemble Grand Tapestry and has composed for interdisciplinary projects.

In addition to performing, Alam Khan has played an important educational role. He assisted his father in teaching at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California. After Ali Akbar Khan’s passing in 2009, Alam Khan took on a larger leadership role and became Head of Indian Classical Instrumental Studies at the institution. His work there focuses on teaching, preserving repertoire, and supporting the transmission of the Maihar tradition to new generations.

Overall, Alam Khan’s career combines performance, collaboration, and pedagogy. His work reflects continuity with a historic lineage while engaging with contemporary audiences and musical contexts.