Renowned exponent of sitar, music composer and director, Ustad Khurshid Khan breathed his last on January 20th. He died from kidney failure at the age of 76.
Khan enthralled classical music lovers for over 40 years. He started his musical training in the Seni Maihar Gharana and was a prominent artiste on national TV and radio. He left behind his wife, two sons and two daughters and hundreds of students to mourn his demise.
Khan was born in Sadakpur village, under Nabinagar thana of Brahmanbaria district on January 1, 1935. He comes from a renowned family of musicians. His mother Ambia Khanam is the eldest daughter of Ustad Ayet Ali Khan, the legendary maestro of the subcontinent, and brother of Ustad Alauddin Khan.
From his boyhood he was attracted to music .He started taking formal sitar lessons under the mentorship of his eldest maternal uncle Ustad Abed Hossain Khan. After that he learnt sitar for about 30 years under the tutelage of his maternal grandfather and his second maternal uncle Ustad Bahadur Hossain Khan. He was the favourite disciple of Ustad Ayet Ali Khan, and adorned himself with all the musical ornaments he could gather from his grandfather.
Khan had a bright musical career. He started his career as a music teacher. Later he joined the state owned radio station as a sitar player where he continued from 1961 to 1964. He then joined the national television in 1964 (now BTV) and retired as music producer in 1993. He also taught at Chhayanaut, a prominent school of music, for more than 40 years. A 'special' grade artiste of radio and television, he was also member of the Board of Judges of music in Dhaka University.
He travelled to several countries as a member of the cultural troupe, including India, Pakistan, China, Canada, Korea, USA, UK, Iran, Iraq and Germany.
Four albums have been published based on his sitar recitals, titled “Music from Bangladesh”, “North Indian Classical Music”, “Tribute to Grandfather Ustad Ayet Ali Khan” and “Relation”.
For over 50 years he was a dedicated artiste of the Seni Maihar Gharana. For his great contribution to the field of music he was awarded the Ustad Ayet Ali Khan Gold Medal in 1998 and the Shadhinata Padak in 2000. Jatiyo Rabindrasangeet Sammilon Parishad awarded him the Rabindra Padak in 2005.