The Consulate General of India, New York celebrated the 85th birth anniversary of Late Ustad Vilayat Khan, the legendary sitar maestro, by organizing an Indian classical instrumental music (sitar) concert of Hidayat Khan, sitar maestro and son of Ustad Vilayat Khan on Friday, August 30, 2013 at the Consulate Ballroom. The concert was organized in association with the Ustad Vilayat Khan Foundation, Inc.
         

Consul Sugandh Rajaram welcomed the guests. Consul General Ambassador Dnyaneshwar Mulay addressed the gathering and underlined the invaluable contribution of Ustad Vilayat Khan to the Indian classical music. 

Late Ustad Vilayat Khan was a legendary sitar maestro well known for his versatility and innovations in the field of Indian classical music. He was an inventor, an architect of the modern sitar and very well-established gayaki aang (vocal style of sitar playing). His biggest contribution to the world of music has been how he has inspired a generation of musicians and will continue to inspire for centuries to come.

The style of presentation of Hidayat Khan is very lyrical and vocal inspired. He has been exposed to the music from all over the world which is present in some way in his performances. During the concert he performed raga Yaman Kalyan, started with an aalap followed by a jod, then came the rhythm where he played various different compositions in the same raga ending with a high energy portion like a crescendo called the jhala. The next half he performed raga Khammaj based folk melodies from different parts of India.He was accompanied by Enayat Husain on Tabla.

The programme was attended by large number of members of the cultural community in New York City and Tri-State area.

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