Sabri Khan, Musician
Musician

Sabri Khan

Born 21 May 1927 · Uttar Pradesh — Died 1 December 2015

Performed internationally as a sarangi virtuoso, popularizing the instrument worldwide.

Ustad Sabri Khan was an Indian sarangi player, who was descended on both sides of his family from a line of distinguished musicians.

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A detail that
surprised us

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Sabri Khan played a rare duet with Western violinist Yehudi Menuhin, bridging Indian classical and Western classical music audiences.

The Story

1
In 1927, at Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, Sabri Khan was born into the Sainia Gharana lineage, which directly traced its musical roots to Mian Tansen, the legendary court musician of Mughal Emperor Akbar.
2
🎻 By the early 1960s, Sabri Khan had accompanied Ravi Shankar and Alla Rakha on their US tour, introducing the sarangi to audiences unfamiliar with this bowed string instrument.
3In 1981, Khan was invited as a visiting professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, marking a rare academic appointment for a sarangi player outside India.
4🌍 Over his career, Sabri Khan toured extensively across continents, performing in over 20 countries including the USSR, Japan, and Mexico, broadening the global footprint of Indian classical music.

🏅 Awards & Honours

1992
Padma Shree
2006
Padma Bhushan

🔍 One thing most people don't know

“

In the early 1960s, Sabri Khan toured the United States with Ravi Shankar and Alla Rakha, a pivotal moment in introducing sarangi to Western audiences unfamiliar with bowed Indian instruments.

🖼️

Through the Years

3 photographs from the archives
Ustad Sabri Khan receiving the Padma Bhushan from President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in New Delhi (2006).
Ustad Sabri Khan receiving the Padma Bhushan from President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in New Delhi (2006).
2006
Ustad Sabri Khan with his disciple Wajahat Hasan in a teaching session (2015).
Ustad Sabri Khan featured on an Indian postage stamp issued in 2018.

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🕊️
Birth
Birth in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
Sabri Khan was born into the Sainia gharana, a lineage tracing back to Mian Tansen, the famed Mughal court musician.
1927
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Career
US Tour with Ravi Shankar and Alla Rakha
Sabri Khan accompanied these maestros, introducing the sarangi to American audiences.
c.1960
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Career
Visiting Professor at University of Washington
Khan taught sarangi and Indian classical music in Seattle, USA.
1981
🏅
Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Recognized for his excellence in sarangi performance by India's national academy.
1986
🏅
Award
Padma Shri Award
Awarded one of India’s highest civilian honors for contributions to classical music.
1992
🏅
Award
Padma Bhushan Award
Received India’s prestigious Padma Bhushan honor for continued musical excellence.
2006
🕊️
Death
Death in New Delhi
Passed away at age 88 surrounded by family after decades of sarangi mastery.
2015
More moments to come...
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🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 04
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

Sabri Khan was a visiting professor at the University of Washington in Seattle in 1981, a rare academic role for an Indian classical sarangi player at an American university.

02 / 04
🌍HISTORICAL IMPACT

He belonged to the Sainia gharana, tracing its musical lineage back to Mian Tansen, the legendary Mughal court musician from the 16th century.

03 / 04
🔍LESSER KNOWN

Sabri Khan’s sarangi performances spanned over 20 countries including Japan, USSR, Mexico, and Finland, showcasing the instrument on global stages from the 1960s onwards.

No quote recorded for Sabri Khan yet.

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
Ustad Sabri Khan and Kamal Sabri on National TV "Sarangi The Human Voice" Then and Now -2
·YouTube
More from this archive
Ustad Sabri Khan and Kamal Sabri on National TV "Sarangi The Human Voice" Then and Now -2
01
Ustad Sabri Khan and Kamal Sabri on National TV "Sarangi The Human Voice" Then and Now -2
YouTube
Ustad Sabri Khan and Kamal Sabri on National TV "Sarangi The Human Voice" Then and Now-1
02
Ustad Sabri Khan and Kamal Sabri on National TV "Sarangi The Human Voice" Then and Now-1
YouTube
Ustad Bade Gulam Ali Khan vocal & Ustad Sabri Khan sarangi - Raga Malkauns
03
Ustad Bade Gulam Ali Khan vocal & Ustad Sabri Khan sarangi - Raga Malkauns
YouTube

🌱 What changed because of them

Sabri Khan expanded the global appreciation of the sarangi, a complex Indian string instrument, by performing internationally and teaching abroad, notably at the University of Washington. His efforts helped preserve the Sainia gharana tradition and inspired subsequent generations within his family and beyond to sustain sarangi music. The Padma awards he received underscored governmental recognition, encouraging wider institutional support for sarangi players in India.

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