Shafaatullah Khan

On October 28, 2004, virtuoso Indian musician Shafaatullah Khan plays in the Erie Art Museum Annex at 8 p.m. Equally talented on the sitar, surbahar, and tabla, Shafaatullah Khan is one of the eighth generation in a family that has been playing Indian classical music for over 400 years. His rare ability to play all three instruments is a talent that sets him apart from even his famous father, Ustad Imrat Khan, who is known as one of the legendary maestros of India for his mastery of the sitar and surbahar and his creative control of melodic line.

Known around the world, Shafaatullah Khan has performed in Athens, London, Moscow, New York, Tokyo, and Washington D.C. He has also lectured at colleges across the country, including Harvard University, UCLA and Columbia University.

Khan’s performances engage audiences with a range of slow compositions and up beat percussion numbers. The London Times describes Shafaatullah Khan’s tabla accompaniment as, “absolutely superb…his bols and tukdas evoked spontaneous applause from his listeners.”

This project is partially supported by a grant from Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour, a program developed and funded by the Vira I. Heinz Endowment; the William Penn Foundation; the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency; and The Pew Charitable Trusts; and administered by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation. Khan’s appearance at the Museum is part of a multi-site residency in northwest Pennsylvania supported in part by the Arts Council of Erie.