Ali Akbar Khan

In 1939, at age 17, Khan accompanied Ravi Shankar on the sarod during Shankar's debut at the Allahabad music conference, beginning one of Indian classical music's most famous jugalbandi partnerships.

The Ali Akbar College of Music, started in 1967 in Calcutta, relocated to San Rafael, California, and now also has a branch in Basel, Switzerland, making it a rare Indian classical music institution with a global footprint.

Khan was nominated five times for Grammy Awards and also received the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, a rare honor for Indian classical musicians, recognizing his creative excellence.

Ali Akbar Khan transformed the global perception of Indian classical music by founding the Ali Akbar College of Music in California in 1967, which became an international institution preserving and teaching the Maihar gharana tradition. His American and European students helped spread sarod music worldwide, influencing musicians across genres. The college's branches continue to nurture classical music, ensuring his teaching methods and compositions endure.