Event

Vikash and Prabhash Maharaj

Pandit Vikash Maharaj is a master of the sarod. While the sitar is more widely known in the west, the more resonant, 18-stringed, fretless sarod is equally prevalent in Hindustani Classical music of North India. Pt. Maharaj began his intensive musical studies on the tabla before being drawn to the sarod. This background in two musical traditions infuses his performance on the sarod with a unique quality and rare depth. He is accompanied on tabla by his oldest son Prabhash Maharaj, whose award-winning artistry combines lightning speed and precision with finely nuanced subtlety.

The Maharaj family hails from Varanasi, India. On the banks of the Ganges river in Northern India, this city (also known as Benares), has been the fountainhead of music and dance in India for thousands of years, and has been called "the oldest city on earth." The Maharaj family can trace back at least 15 generations of musicians instrumentalists, singers and dancers.

While steeped in tradition, they are also creative collaborators who promote the richness of classical Indian music as still-vibrant and living art form. Pt. Maharaj has toured extensively throughout the world for more than 30 years, composing music, performing and recording with an impressive array of jazz, symphonic, popular and avant-garde musicians including John Handy, Paul Horn and Tom Bailey. As a duo as well as individually, they are highly sought as performers and teachers in India and beyond.

The energy between the Maharajes when performing together is stunning. As father and son perform both traditional raags and new compositions, they cover territory that ranges from meditative to complex from passionate to playful.