Arjun K. Verma

Arjun K. Verma is an Indian-American sitarist and composer. Beginning with his father,
Roop Verma, and continuing with the legendary Ali Akbar Khan and his son Alam Khan, Arjun’s
meticulous training has imbued him with a rich musicality that encompasses both the profound
majesty and the exhilaration of North Indian classical music.

Hailed by the New York Times as a “fine sitarist,” Arjun shares the jewels of his cultural heritage
in a manner that is fresh, modern, and relevant, while maintaining a high standard of traditional
integrity.

Arjun has performed at international venues including the United Nations, the Fillmore, Prague
Castle, and on the NBC TV network, collaborating with a diverse host of musicians including the
London Symphony Orchestra, Swapan Chaudhuri, Alam Khan, Bob Weir (Grateful Dead), the
St. Louis Symphony, and GRAMMY-winning pianist and arranger John Beasley.
Arjun’s performance repertoire has stretched the limits of the sitar as an instrument, and his
recording and composing work has applied Indian classical music effectively for TV, opera, and
documentary film.

In 2023, Arjun published The Resonance Between—a groundbreaking East-West collaboration
led by sarodist Alam Khan. The album received international praise, hailed as "a genuinely
revolutionary listening experience” (Cultured Focus); “remarkable. . . simply excellent music”
(Popmatters); "beautiful. . .transcends language, definition, boundaries” (The Hindu);
and was chosen as one of the “Best Albums of 2023” by Songlines Magazine.

Arjun is the recipient of a Mosaic America commissioning grant (2020), a Creative Work Fund
grant (2018—Haas Foundation), and a Shenson Fellowship (2007—San Francisco Foundation).