Ayaan Ali Khan

Iraqi oud virtuoso and composer, Rahim AlHaj, is joined by Indian sarod maestros, Amjad Ali Khan and his sons, Amaan Ali Kahn, and Ayaan Ali Kahn, following the recent release of their CD, Infinite Hope, which is a follow up to their Grammy-nominated release, Ancient Sounds. Born and raised in Baghdad, Iraq, Rahim AlHaj was forced to leave his country after the first Gulf War due to his activism against the Baath regime. He moved to the US in 2000 as a political refugee and became a US citizen in 2008, making Albuquerque his home. AlHaj has performed around the world and has won many accolades and awards, including two Grammy nominations. He has recorded and performed with a wide range of musicians including Bill Frisell, Guy Klucevsek, and REM. Most recently, he was given the honor of being named a 2015 National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellow. One of India’s foremost classical musicians, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan gave his first recital on the 19-string teak and metal Sarod when he was only 6 years old. He is the sixth generation of a legendary family that is responsible for establishing the Sarod as an instrument in Classical Indian music and which traces its lineage back to the court musicians of the Moghul Emperor, Akbar. A recipient of the UNESCO Award, and Padma Vibhushan (the highest Indian civilian award), he has performed worldwide and holds Honorary Doctorates from the Universities of York, England and Delhi University. In 2002, he released his Carnegie Hall concert recording, Sarod for Harmony-Live at Carnegie Hall, to commemorate his fiftieth year of performing. The seventh generation to continue the family tradition, Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan, are both sarod artists of the highest order.