Rishab Rikhiram Sharma

Rishab Rikhiram Sharma is a prominent Indian sitarist, music producer, and mental health advocate. He is widely recognised as the youngest and final disciple of the legendary sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar. Born in Delhi into the esteemed Rikhi Ram family of luthiers, Rishab grew up surrounded by musical instruments, thanks to his family’s legacy founded by his grandfather, Rikhi Ram Sharma, which is now carried on by his father, Sanjay Rikhiram Sharma.

He began his formal training at the age of 10 under his father's guidance, initially restricted from touching the sitar to instil respect for the instrument. Interestingly, his first sitar was one he repaired himself after it was damaged during a delivery. Rishab made his stage debut in 2011 at the India Islamic Cultural Centre, where he caught the attention of Pandit Ravi Shankar, who later took him on as his youngest disciple. 

After Ravi Shankar’s passing, Rishab continued his training under Pt. Parimal Sadaphal, and has received guidance from renowned maestros such as Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Ustad Rais Khan. He attended Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram, and at 17 moved to New York to pursue a dual degree in Music Production and Economics at City University of New York, Queens College.

Rishab is noted for blending classical Indian ragas with contemporary genres like EDM, hip-hop, and lo-fi. In 2022, he became the first sitarist to perform solo at the White House for a Diwali event hosted by President Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris. He has performed for live audiences of over 60,000 people at the NRG Stadium in Houston during the Howdy Modi event and appeared at the Woodstock 50 reunion.

 In 2025, he achieved a milestone as the first neo-classical artist to perform on the global DJ AG Live Session in London. In 2020, following the loss of his grandfather and his struggles with anxiety and depression, Rishab founded the "Sitar for Mental Health" initiative. These sessions provide multi-sensory experiences that combine breathing exercises, meditation, traditional sitar music mixed with modern soundscapes, and open conversations to break the stigma surrounding mental health.

Rishab’s visual identity is as distinctive as his music. He often adorns mehendi (henna) on his hands as a form of artistic expression and a statement against gender-related stigmas. His style merges traditional Indian attire with contemporary fashion, often featuring vibrant bandanas and long hair.