Ali Akbar Khan dies at 87; sarod player helped bring Indian music to U.S.

Posted: Jun 20, 2009 - 6:06pm

Posted: Jun 20, 2009 - 5:49pm

Ali Akbar Khan dies at 87; sarod player helped bring Indian music to U.S.

Ali Akbar Khan “was instrumental in transforming Indian music into an international tradition” in an unprecedented way, a student said of the sarod player.

The performer and composer, considered a 'National Living Treasure' in India, was the first Indian musician to be honored by the MacArthur Foundation with its so-called genius grant.

By Jon Thurber
June 20, 2009

Maestro Ali Akbar Khan, the master Indian musician and composer who was a pivotal figure in introducing the music of his homeland to the West, has died. He was 87.

The legendary sarod player and teacher died of kidney failure Thursday night at his home in the Bay Area city of San Anselmo, according to an announcement on the website of the Ali Akbar College of Music, Khan's teaching facility in northern California. The announcement said Khan had been a dialysis patient since 2004 but was still teaching at the college until just two weeks ago.