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Vilayat Khan to Open WMI's New Season

Arthur J Pais in New York

Sitar maestro Ustad Vilayat Khan will present the opening concert of the World Music Institute's 1999-2000 season at the Town Hall in New York City on September 17.

He will be joined by his eldest son, Shujaat Husain Khan, and his youngest, Hidayat Khan (both on the sitar) and tabla exponent Sabir Khan.

Vilayat Khan, one of the most respected sitarists, has been performing for nearly six decades and is renowned for introducing the gayaki ang style in which the sitar imitates the subtleties of the human voice.

He traces his heritage back seven generations to Torab Khan, a master of the sur-bahar and sitar.

Shujaat Husain Khan, who has performed with his father and teacher many times, has emerged as a musician in his own right. He is a member of the Ghazal Ensemble that includes Kayhan Kalhor and Swapan Chaudhuri.

Sabir Khan, who has performed with top classical masters from India, is the son of Keramatullah Khan of the Farukhabad gharana (house or style), and since his father's death 13 years ago, he has become the khalifa of the gharana, a title given to the oldest living exponent descended from the original family.

The performance will begin at 8 pm. The Town Hall is located at 123 West 43rd Street; Tickets, $25, $35 and $50; box-office, (212) 840-2824 or ticketmaster, (212) 307-4100.

On October 9, also at the Town Hall, WMI presents qawwali music of Pakistan featuring Mehr and Sher Ali.

The WMI, based in New York, has presented every top Indian and Pakistani classical and vocal musician, including Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, Alla Rakha, Zakir Husain, L Shankar, M Balamurali Krishna and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, at its concerts since its founding in 1985. It has also introduced to North America many of the up and coming artistes from the Indian subcontinent.

Growing out of a concert programme developed at New York's Alternative Museum between 1976 and 1985, the series has included music from 70 countries in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. In addition, WMI has also presented innovative programmes of contemporary American composers. WMI presents more than 60 concerts a year attended by over 30,000, and at locations varying from the 250-seat Washington Square Church to such world-class venues as the Carnegie Hall.

WMI also has a huge collection of music from the Indian subcontinent.

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