The Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture among Youth (SPICMACAY), Cornell is very pleased to bring Ustad Shahid Parvez, a sitar maestro, to Cornell. The sitar is an Indian stringed instrument, played primarily in the Hindustani, or North Indian, style of Indian classical music.

Ustad Shahid Parvez belongs to the seventh generation of the famous Etawah gharana in sitar playing. He is the son of Ustad Aziz Khan, a famous musician and a noted composer, and he is the grandson of Ustad Wahid Khan, the Surbahar and Sitar virtuoso.

Ustad Shahid Parvez was introduced to vocal music and tabla by his illustrious father, before being initiated into playing the sitar. He was almost instantly recognized as a child prodigy, and gave his first public performance at the tender age of eight.

In Ustad Shahid Parvez, we find a unique combination of the 'gayaki' ang (influenced by vocal stylings and produced by the left hand) and the 'tantrakari' ang (the rhythm produced by the right hand, the mizrab). Over the years, he has created a distinct genre of instrumental music, and has evolved a distinctive style of his own. He observes every minute technical detail and believes in the purity of Ragas.

Ustad Shahid Parvez is a 'top' grade artist of All India Radio. He is one of the few maestros to enjoy global reputation, and he has numerous LP records, audio and video cassettes, and Compact Discs to his credit. He has been honored with several awards, both national and international, and has participated in many of the major festivals in India and abroad, including the Festival of India, held in the U.S., Canada, U.S.S.R., Europe.Ustad Shahid Parvez will be accompanied by the tabla maestro, Ustad Kadar Khan.

sponsored by:
SPICMACAY
Cornell Concert Commission
South Asia Program
Department of Music
International Students Programming Board