Shri Shakir Khan (Sitar) 
 

Shakir is one of the most promising young exponents of the legendary Etawah Gharana, energetically following in the musical footsteps of his prodigious father and guru, the sitar maestro Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan. He represents the eighth generational link in an unbroken chain of musical talent and tradition poured exclusively into the sitar and surbahar. The legacy includes, besides Ustadji, the musical legacy of Ustad Aziz Khan (Shakir’s paternal grandfather), and that of the patriarchal surbaharist Ustad Wahid Khan (Shakir’s great grandfather). Great Ustad Vilayat Khan is his grand uncle.

​

Shakir gave his first public performance at the age of eleven & has matured gradually through study, countless hours dedicated to practice(riyaaz) and frequent recitals. In recent years Shakir has performed brilliantly for prestigious music conferences in India including the Dover Lane Music Conference (Kolkata), Sawai Gandharva music festival Pune. the Saptak Music Festival (Ahmedabad), Bombay Festival (Mumbai), the Tansen Music Festival (Gwalior), the Shankarlal Music Festival (Delhi) and many more. He has also performed extensively worldwide, bringing the joy and subtlety of the Etawah Gharana to audiences in the US, Canada and Europe, at a performance at the famous Woodstock Festival in Poland in 2008.

​

He has accompanied his father for a wonderful father-son duet. Shakir’s talent has also found official recognition, the young sitar virtuoso winning a Government of India merit scholarship and first prize at the All India Radio (AIR) Music Competition.

Shakir stands out for his exquisite sense of sur (melody) and laya (rhythm). He is an incredibly warm, charismatic and open young person who has ably adapted his classical knowledge and skill in international fusion projects like the European Jazz ensemble called ‘Taalism’, Germany and ‘Human Evolution’, Spain.

​

Shri Kuntal Roy

​

Kuntal Roy is one of the most sought after tabla players in the music world. He is a senior disciple of legendary tabla acharya, Pandit Shankar Ghosh. He also received training from Shri Narayan Chandra Haldhar and Shri Radha Raman Nath. Melody, clarity and precision are some of the characteristics of Kuntal’s playing. Kuntal has given many solo and accompaniment performances with vocal, dance and instrumental all across the globe. His performances have received high accolades including from none other than the musical legand, Pandit Ravi Shankar.

He is the founder of Seattle Tabla School and has been teaching in Seattle as well as various students from India, Europe, Russia, Australia, Japan for more than two decades.