Strings for Peace
July 12 | 7:00 pm
Photo credit: Suvo Das
Broyhill Chamber Series
Amjad Ali Khan, Sarod
Sharon Isbin, Guitar
Amaan Ali Bangash, Sarod
Ayaan Ali Bangash, Sarod
with
Amit Kavthekar, Tabla
Grammy Award-winning American guitarist Sharon Isbin teams with Indian sarod virtuoso Amjad Ali Khan and his two sons, with Amit Kavthekar. The collaboration melds Western and Indian traditions in a sacred and artistic flow, embodying the nature of a common family of stringed instruments, the guitar and sarod, playing together in harmony while still preserving each instrument’s essence.
Program
Isaac Albeniz: Asturias — Sharon Isbin
Sacred Evening (based on Raga Yaman) — Ayaan Ali Bangash and Sharon Isbin
By the Moon (based on Raga Behag) — Amaan Ali Bangash and Sharon Isbin
Raga and Folk Music — Amjad Ali Khan
Romancing Earth (based on Raga Pilu) — Amjad Ali Khan, Sharon Isbin, Amaan and Ayaan
LOCATION: Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, 733 Rivers St., Boone, NC 28608
IMPORTANT LOCATION NOTE: This event is part of the Broyhill Chamber Series but will be performed at Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, not in Rosen Concert Hall like the other performances in the series.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact the Box Office at theschaefercenter@appstate.edu or call 800-841-2787 or 828-262-4046.
TICKETS:
Standard: $30
App State Faculty/Staff: $25
Children 12 and younger: FREE with purchase of adult ticket
SHOWTIME:
Wednesday, July 12, 2023 | 7pm
Doors open at 6:30pm
ACCOMMODATION STATEMENT: Appalachian is committed to providing an inclusive experience for individuals with disabilities. If accommodations are needed in order to fully participate on the basis of a disability, contact the Office of Disability Resources (828.262.3056). It is recommended that accommodation requests be made two weeks prior to the event.
ABOUT AMJAD ALI KHAN
Amjad Ali Khan is one of the undisputed masters of the music world. Born to sarod maestro Haafiz Ali Khan, he is the sixth generation in the legendary line of the Senia Bangash School. Since giving his first performance at the age of six, he has played for audiences worldwide, bringing a new and yet timeless interpretation to the repertoire, while being widely credited with reinventing the technique of playing the sarod. Over the course of a distinguished career spanning more than six decades, Amjad Ali Khan has won numerous accolades including a Grammy nomination, the Crystal Award by the World Economic Forum, Unicef’s National Ambassadorship and the Fukuoka Cultural grand prize. Amjad Ali Khan has made regular appearances at Carnegie Hall, the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Sydney Opera House, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Esplanade Singapore, the Kennedy Center and Symphony Center in Chicago. He has performed at festivals worldwide including the Hong Kong Arts Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, WOMAD, World Beat Festival, Enescu Festival Bucharest, and the BBC Proms as well as for prestigious organizations such as the United Nations, UNESCO, World Arts Summit and for the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in Oslo in 2014. Amjad Ali Khan’s passion for bringing the sarod to new audiences has led to numerous residencies as well as an appointed as Visiting Professor at several universities. Amjad Ali Khan won a Gold Medal at the Global Music Awards for his outstanding contribution to the global music industry and excellence in the classical music sphere. This honor was bestowed in recognition of Peace Worshipers, an album recorded with his sons Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash in 2017.
ABOUT SHARON ISBIN
Acclaimed for her extraordinary lyricism, technique and versatility, multiple Grammy Award winner Sharon Isbin was named the 2020 Musical America Worldwide Instrumentalist of the Year, the first guitarist to receive the coveted honor in its 59-year award history. Hailed as “the pre-eminent guitarist of our time,” she has been a soloist with over 200 orchestras and has performed in the world’s finest halls across 40 countries.
Winner of the Munich ARD, Madrid and Toronto Competitions, Germany’s Echo Klassik and Guitar Player‘s Best Classical Guitarist awards, she performed in Scorsese’s Oscar-winning The Departed, at Ground Zero for the first internationally televised 9/11 memorial, at the White House by invitation of President Obama, and as the only classical artist at the 2010 Grammy Awards. The documentary Sharon Isbin: Troubadour, seen by millions on more than 200 PBS stations across the U.S. and abroad, won the ASCAP Television Broadcast Award and is available on DVD/Blue-ray and Amazon streaming. Recent highlights include sold-out concerts at the Kennedy Center, Kimmel Center, and Carnegie Hall including a collaboration with Sting.
Isbin’s catalogue of over 35 albums has sold nearly a million copies. Her two recent recordings were named Best of 2020 and feature world premieres composed for her: Affinity showcasing Chris Brubeck’s dazzling guitar concerto and Strings for Peace with India’s legendary sarod master Amjad Ali Khan. Her 2019 Souvenirs of Spain & Italy with the Pacifica Quartet debuted at #1 on Amazon and #2 on Billboard, and her Alma Española was honored with a 2018 GRAMMY Award for Producer of the Year. Author of the Classical Guitar Answer Book, Isbin has premiered over 80 works written for her by some of the world’s finest composers. She directs the guitar departments at the Aspen Music Festival and The Juilliard School, which she created in 1989.
ABOUT AMAAN ALI BANGASH
Amaan Ali Bangash is the elder son and disciple of the Sarod Maestro Amjad Ali Khan. Initiated into the fine art of Sarod playing at a very tender age, Amaan began his public performances at the age of eight. Accompanying his father to various music festivals in India and abroad, he has today carved out a niche for himself and his performances have evoked considerable applause. His precision in tunefulness and his bold and resonant strokes are all pointers to the importance of tradition and continuity in Indian classical music. He made his debut abroad in 1986 at the Festival of India in Moscow. In 1990, Amaan performed in UK and at the Asia Society in 1991 in New York. Today, Amaan is considered one of the finest young sarod players and has attained a very special place for himself among Indian music enthusiasts. Awards and accolades came his way early in life, yet Amaan steadfastly pursued his family’s inheritance and legacy. His personal belief being that his work will speak for itself. In October 2002, he received Provogue Society’s Young Achievers Award for Performing Arts. Beyond playing the sarod, Amaan has anchored Top Drive, the all-new television series on Star World that aired beginning in January 2003 for five episodes. He also took part in the relay for the Athens Olympics in New Delhi in June 2004. In 2005, Amaan composed for the music for the film American Daylight by Academy Award winner Rodger Christian.
ABOUT AYAAN ALI BANGASH
Ayaan Ali Bangash is the younger son and disciple of the Sarod titan Maestro Amjad Ali Khan, making his solo concert debut at the age of eight. Since that time, Ayaan has been performing concerts worldwide, giving many solo performances and also appearing in concert with his illustrious father and brother. Ayaan has won the hearts of music lovers both in India and around the globe. He made his UK Debut in 1989 and US Debut in 1991 at the Asia Society in New York. In 2000, Ayaan joined his father at the Dalai Lama’s Sacred Music Festival inauguration. In June 2004, Ayaan took part in the Athens Olympic Torch Relay in New Delhi and the fall of that same year he performed at the Symphony Hall in Fukuoka and New York’s Town Hall. In 2005, Ayaan composed the score for Roger Christian’s film American Daylight. Ayaan has participated in over seven recordings including three solo projects. His recent recordings include Sarod for Harmony, Live at Carnegie Hall, Strings for Peace with guitarist Sharon Isbin, and Music for Hope with pipa virtuoso Wu Man.
