Ikhlaq Hussain

About the Musicians

Ustad Ikhlaq Hussain is a sitar virtuoso from a centuries-long line of influential musicians of the Delhi Gharana school, dating back to the early 13th century and including his father and teacher, the late Ustad Imdad Hussain. He also studied with famed sitar master Ravi Shankar. Hussain plays in the Gayaki Ang style, reproducing the nuance of the human voice, perhaps the most difficult form of playing the sitar. He was an artist in residence at Shangri La, Hawai’i (DDFIA) in 2014. In 2015 Hussain performed at Lincoln Center Out of Doors, and in 2016 he performed at the Storm King Art Center as part of the Masters of Indian Music series presented by the World Music Institute. In 2017 at the Asia Society’s Lahore Literary Festival, Ikhlaq’s sitar performance was part of the session on Notes from the Raga with renowned Dr. Azra Raza and Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee. Ikhlaq Hussain’s personal mission is to preserve and disseminate his rich musical heritage through concerts and teaching.

Born into the music tradition of India, Naren Budhakar began performing at a young age. A disciple of tabla maestro Ustad Shabbir Nisar, Naren has played with prominent instrumentalists, vocalists, and dancers including Pandit Birju Maharaj, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Jasraj, and Shaed Parvez and has performed at prestigious venues in the US and Europe. He has provided tabla accompaniment for various musical genres and has played with La Monte Young and Bobby McFerrin and recorded with Alicia Keys. Naren is co-director of the East-West School of Music and as a faculty member teaches and performs regularly.