Sitar virtuoso Ustad Shujaat Khan enthralls Sydney’s Indian classical music aficionados

Presented under the title “Sur Aur Sitaar – An Evening with Ustad Shujaat Khan,” the concert took place at the Science Theatre at UNSW Sydney, drawing an audience that reflected both the city’s Indian diaspora and a growing community of global classical-music enthusiasts.

Sydney’s music loving community possesses a profound appreciation for Indian classical instrumental music.

Earlier live performances by musical icons such as Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit L Subbramanium, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pandit Tanmoy Bose and others alike , at esteemed venues throughout the city, affirm that strong empathy.

The nearly full audience that gathered to hear Shujaat Khan is a testament to the enduring desire to experience the soulful melodies that the Indian classical tradition offers, which has not diminished in any way, but rather intensified.

The atmosphere in the intimate, tiered auditorium was charged with anticipation as Khan, widely regarded as one of the foremost sitar players of his generation, took the stage.

A torchbearer of the Imdadkhani (Etawah) gharana and son of the legendary Ustad Vilayat Khan, he is celebrated for his distinctive gayaki ang style, in which the sitar emulates the expressive nuances of the human voice.

From the opening strains of the evening’s alap, Khan demonstrated the lyrical depth and technical mastery that have made him a revered figure in Hindustani classical music.

Sitar virtuoso Ustad Shujaat Khan in front of the Sydney audience. Photo: PR Team

His sitar seemed to sing, weaving delicate melodic phrases that unfolded gradually into intricate rhythmic dialogues. As the performance progressed through expansive ragas and lively compositions, the interplay between melody and rhythm held the audience in rapt attention.

The concert revealed Khan’s rare ability to balance tradition with spontaneity. His improvisations—at once meditative and exhilarating—evoked the timeless aesthetics of North Indian classical music while retaining an immediacy that resonated with the contemporary setting. Listeners responded with hushed concentration during the slower passages and warm applause as the tempo gathered momentum.

For Sydney’s classical-music aficionados, the recital was more than a concert; it was a cultural encounter that bridged continents. By the end of the evening, the audience had experienced not only the virtuosity of a master musician but also the enduring emotional power of the sitar tradition.

The city’s connoisseurs left the theatre with the sense of having witnessed a performance that reaffirmed the global reach and vitality of Indian classical music.

He was accompanied on the table by highly accomplished percussionists Shariq Mustafa and Zuheb Ahmed Khan.

The program was the maiden initiative of Natkhat Ghar, an organization spearheaded by Dr Surjit Tarafdar and his wife Shaba Tarafdar. Sydney’s music fans hope to see more initiatives like this from them.