Ustad Ali Ahmed Hussain Khan

Ustad Ali Ahmed Hussain Khan of Allahabad, the acknowledged premier shehnai specialist of Eastern India was born in Calcutta on March 21, 1939. His grand-father late Ustad Wazir Ali Khan was the first to demonstrate Indian classical music on shehnai at Buckingham Palace. His father late Ustad Ali Jan Khan and gurus late uncle Ustad Nazir Hussain Khan and late Ustad Imdad Hussain Khan of Benares were also renowned shehnai specialists. He presents shehnai in a soft, subtle and sweet tone enriched with melodious and mellifluous patterns. The purity of raags in his performances is a hallmark of his steadfastness to tradition. He has taught shehnai at Sangeet Research Academy, Calcutta since 1974.

Ustad Ali Ahmed is regularly featured on All India Radio and Indian Television. He holds the distinction of composing the signature tune for Indian Television with Pandit Ravi Shankar. He has played jugalbandhi both commercially and in live performances with artists such as Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan on sitar, Pandit V. G. Jog on violin and late Ustad Munewar Ali Khan, vocals. His recordings are numerous and under variety of labels.

Ustad Ali Ahmed has extensively traveled in India and abroad. His concert tours have included countries like United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, France, Belgium, Russia, Tunisia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Philippines, over a span of twenty years. On several occasions he has been invited/sponsored by governments and/or music festivals. He performed a duet with pianist Peter Michael Hamel at the Indo-German Festival. He participated in Music Festival Raag-Mala in the U.S. and Canada in 1994.