Ravi Shankar

The Profile

Indian sitar virtuoso and composer who popularized Hindustani classical music internationally and collaborated with Western musicians.

Studied under Ustad Allauddin Khan; collaborated with George Harrison, Yehudi Menuhin and Philip Glass; recipient of the Bharat Ratna and multiple Grammy Awards; widely credited with introducing the sitar and Hindustani raga tradition to Western audiences.

DeBaser reviews present Ravi Shankar as a master of raga and improvisation. Three Ragas is described as a spiritual masterpiece and peak of his work. Passages (with Philip Glass) is noted as a successful East–West collaboration blending Hindustani and minimalist elements.