Noted Classical Musician Ustad Imrat Khan Passes Away At The Age Of 83

Classical music stalwart Ust Imrat Khan, who dedicated his life to propagating sitar and surbahar worldwide, has died in US after a brief illness, his son said Friday. He was 83.

He bread his last on Thursday, vember 22 in a hospital in St Louis, his home for over two deces, after a stroke, his son Nishat Khan told PTI.

"He h developed pneumonia. He was in hospital for a week. He h a stroke last night. He h t been keeping well for last few months," Nishat, a sitarist of repute himself, said before leaving for US.

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funeral will take place on Saturday, vember 24 he said.

Imrat Khan, who famously turned down Pma Shri last year saying recognition h come too late and diminished his achievements, belonged to illustrious Etawa gharana, or Imdkhani Gharana, named after his grandfar Ust Imd Khan.  His elder bror was Ust Vilayat Khan.

gharana, one of oldest in India with a musical legacy of over 400 years, traces its roots to Agra. family later moved to Etawa before finally settling down in Kolkata with Ust Inayat Khan, Imrat Khan's far. 

family is credited with developing musical instrument surbahar, a stringed instrument that is sometimes called "bass sitar".  

Imrat Khan toured world with his music and performed at Cannes Film Festival in 1970 for a Merchant-Ivory partnership. He was also a regular at various music festivals in India.

Calling his far one of greatest surbarhar players of his time, Nishat said his far carried forward country and family's herit till very end.

"He was my guru, mentor, teacher and far. He was a great philosopher, an evangelist for music. He really carried forward herit of Indian classical music all over world to very end of his life," Nishat said.

One of big disappointments of his life was t being recognised for his musical contributions by government even when his students and juniors were given Pma awards. 

Refusing Pma Shri was t a matter of self-aggrandisement but "an issue of propriety", he told PTI in an interview in February last year. 

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Having performed with stalwarts like his bror as well as  Ust Bismillah Khan, Ust Amedjan Thirakwa Khan and Pandit V G Jog, Imrat Khan said he did t want to compromise this legacy by accepting award.

"My music has been centre-st of my life and I have put it on highest pedestal with a lifetime of devotion to its art, refusing any form of corruption to its form and essence. I do t expect at this moment in my life that my devotion and contributions be diminished to a level lower than my followers, students and sons - by or reputation," he h told PTI.