A little over a year ago, I wrote a post about a concert I will never forget.  Ravi Shankar. While trying to convey the overwhelming experience of that performance, in my haste, I omitted one detail.  Ali Akbar Khan. Being swept away by the incredible music and brilliance of Shankar, I remember thinking, at the time, that Khan came ‘this close’ to stealing the show.

In retrospect, Shankar was intimidating.  But Khan, with his quiet and unassuming grace combined with sheer musical virtuosity, was transcending.

With the possible exception of Shankar, no one did more to elevate the profile of Indian Classical music in the west. An absolute master of the 25-string Sarod, a double Grammy nominee, Khan was also a composer (including film and television), teacher, founder of the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael in California, and recipient of Padma Vibhushan (India’s second-highest civilian honour).

On Thursday, the New York Times wrote of Khan’s life, music, and the profound affect he had on the lives of others. You can read the article here.

He will be missed by millions … including me.