Ayaan Ali Bangash
Biography
Ayaan Ali Bangash represents the seventh generation of a musical lineage known as the Senia Bangash School. The younger son and disciple of the Sarod Maestro Amjad Ali Khan, Ayaan stepped into the world of music and the Sarod, at a very early age, with confidence, clarity, consistency and technical mastery all of which he learnt at his father's knees. Ayaan gave his solo debut when he was eight years old and has been performing concerts in India and abroad, since then. He has also assisted his illustrious father at concerts all over the world. Over the years today, Ayaan has carved out a special niche for himself in the world of music. His approach, vision and versatility make him an icon for the youth in the music industry. His contribution in making the Sarod a cross-over instrument in a variety of genres has projected him as an artist of high repute.
Ayaan has won the hearts of music lovers both in India and abroad. He made his UK debut in 1989 and US Debut in 1991 at the Asia Society in New York. From 1997 onwards Ayaan has performed regularly at the Carnegie Hall and Smithsonian in the US; Palais Beaux-Arts in Brussels; Chicago Symphony Center, ESPLANADE in Singapore; Summer Arts Festival in Seattle; and at the Edinburgh Music Festival and the Royal Festival Hall in London. He made his debut tour to Australia in 2003. Ayaan has played concerts at the WOMAD Festival in Adelaide and New Plymouth, World Beat Festival in Brisbane and at the Opera House in Sydney. Ayaan performed for HRH the Prince of Wales at St. James Palace for the Temenos Academy in 1997. In 2000, Ayaan joined his father at the Dalai Lama’s Sacred Music Festival inauguration in New Delhi. From 2000 to 2001, Ayaan hosted a very popular music and talent show air on Zee TV called “Sa Re Ga Ma” with his brother, Amaan. In November 2002, Ayaan co-authored a book with his brother, Amaan titled “Abba-God’s Greatest Gift to Us.”
This book was on his father’s life and was published by Roli Books, Lustre Publications under the ‘Family Pride Series’.
Ayaan collaborated with the noted cellist Mathew Barley of UK at the Royal Festival Hall in 2002. In July 2002, Ayaan conducted a workshop for the National Youth Orchestra of UK which was followed by a concert with the NYO. Over the years Ayaan has performed at Konzerthaus in Vienna; Symphony Hall in Birmingham; Bridgewater Hall in Manchester; Recital Hall in 2005, The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam; and the Centre d`Art Contemporain in Geneva and the UN International Labour Organisation auditorium, Geneva in 2006. In 2003, Ayaan performed for Prince Charles at his High Grove Estate for Temenos Academy. In the following years Ayaan played at the Symphony Hall in Fukuoka and New York’s Town Hall. In 2005 he composed the music score for Roger Christian’s film “American Daylight”. He played at the Metropolitan Museum in 2012 and Salisbury Festival in UK in 2005, among other venues across the world.
In 2005, Ayaan collaborated with guitarist Dereck Truks of the Allman Brother’s band at the Savannah Music Festival. In the same year, he also recorded with Real World Records and featured in one solo track in his father’s album “Moksha,” In July 2006, Ayaan collaborated with Evelyn Glennie at Queen Elisabeth Hall. Bestowed with the MTV’s Lycra Award for the Most Stylish person in Music in 2006, Ayaan was honored by the Mayor of the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma with the Keys to the City along with an Honorary Citizenship and the Bharat Shiromani Award for Instrumental music in 2007. He also performed at the Central Hall of the Indian Parliament on the commemoration of India's 60th year of Independence in 2007.
In 2009, Ayaan played at the United Nations in New York in presence of Ban Ki Moon to commemorate the Ode to Peace Concert along with his father. In 2011 a collaborative project between folk singer songwriter Carrie Newcomer premiered called “Everything Is Everywhere” at Lotus Arts Festival in Bloomington. The project with Amjad Ali Khan, Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Bangash released on Light Records. Ayaan played the same year at The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. Ayaan’s concert at Wigmore Hall along with his father released under the Live at Wigmore Hall series was recorded in 2010.
In 2010 Ayaan and Amaan, released their second book titled “50 Maestros 50 Recordings” which was published by Harper Collins. In 2012, Ayaan starred in a PETA advertisement strumming his sarod against a backdrop of birds flying freely across the sky, next to the words "Bring Harmony to Birds' Lives - Let Birds Fly Free.” The advertisement was against the caging of birds. In 2013, Ayaan performed the Ananta Opus 195, along with his father and brother. This was a concerto for the sarod, symphonic and electronic orchestra written by Pierre Thilloy in collaboration with Avignon Provence Symphonic Orchestra and the Kords Collective, conducted by Samuel Jean that premiered in India. Amaan and Ayaan composed two customized special albums New Delhi in 2011 and Raga in 2013 for The Leela Palaces Hotels and Resorts.
In 2013 Ayaan recently performed in his father’s Sarod concerto “Samaagam” with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by David Murphy. Ayaan also presented his father’s Sarod concerto “Samaagam” with the London Philharmonic Orchestra with conductor David Murphy in 2013. Same year saw concerts at Duke University, NC and Hill Auditorium, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The same year, he also performed with his father and brother and Oudist Rahim Alhaj for Amjad Ali Khan’s Grammy-nominated project, “Ancient Sounds” at Kirkland Center of Performing Arts and Chicago World Music Festival and the same year he performed at Lisbon’s Gulbenkian Música.
In 2014, Ayaan had a week-long residence with his father at Indiana University Bloomington. They were the first residents of the first School of Global and International Studies Artist at this University. He also toured with the Britten Sinfonia, one of the world's most celebrated and pioneering ensembles; performed at WOMAD Festival at Charlton Park, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England; and performed at The Getty Center in Los Angeles under its annual concert series “Sounds of L.A.” in 2014.
Along with his many solo classical albums, Ayaan has crossed the bridge between Indian music and a variety of genres with his electronica and lounge albums like “Reincarnation,” “Truth,” “Mystic Dunes,” “Passion” and “Dreamz.” He also released two albums titled “The Music Room” and “Sarod Symphony” with his father and guru in 2010. The latest album “Rang - Colours of Sufism” was released in March 2012 featuring Amaan and Ayaan’s interpretations of traditional Qawwalis on the Sarod. In 2013, their new project Headwaters released.
The collaboration is with Malcolm Dalglish, a renowned Hammered Dulcimer player from the US. A project, with its interplay of ancient voices and images. In 2014, Ayaan co-founded Sarod Records with Amaan that releases their music exclusively on iTunes.
In 2014, Amjad Ali Khan, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash performed at the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in Oslo, Norway on as well as the Nobel Peace Prize Concert along with the lineup of Queen Latifa, Steven Tyler, Nuno Bettencourt and Laura Mvula.
His new recording, “Amalgam,” is a follow-up on the highly acclaimed album "Soul Strings" released in September of 2015, in which sarod virtuosos Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash joined forces with American classical violinist Elmira Darvarova to create a unique collaboration, a bridge between their respective musical traditions which were carried whole and un-compromised. “Amalgam” brilliantly confirms this daring, supercharged, yet profoundly respectful and even affectionate meeting of these musical minds, made all the more profound by the inclusion of music icon Amjad Ali Khan. “Amalgam” features a solo work composed and performed by Grammy-nominated violinist Elmira Darvarova, powerfully informed by the folk traditions of her own Bulgarian roots. “Amalgam” brings new meaning and a redefinition to the description "World Music" as it crosses and joins classical genres of the east and west with brilliant musicianship in world premiere performances.
In June 2016, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash completed their three city Spain tour with the finale concert in Madrid at Teatros del Canal and also made their China debut at Shanghai Center Theater in Shanghai and Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Amjad Ali Khan and his widely acclaimed disciples and sarod virtuosi Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash were recently felicitated at the coveted Global Music Awards under the Gold Medal category for their outstanding contribution to the global music industry and excellence in the classical music sphere Global Music Awards are prestigious and are increasingly recognized by industry insiders to give legitimacy to outstanding artists.
The top tier honor was bestowed on the trailblazing trio in correlation with their “Peace Worshipers” album which was released in July 2017 by Affetto Records and distributed by Naxos. This year they perform with Moscow State Philharmonic Orchestra and Bronx Arts Ensemble. The UNDay Concert 2018 featured Sarod virtuoso Amjad Ali Khan, accompanied by his sons Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, and the Refugee Orchestra Project conducted by Lidiya Yankovskaya, conductor. 2018’s concert dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi was themed on “Traditions of Peace and Non-violence” in the presence of António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations. This year Ayaan performed his father’s Sarod concerto “Samaagam” with New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and also presented a Soul Strings in Europe with Violinist Jennifer Pike. This year also marked the debut of Strings for Peace with Guitarist Sharon Isbin.
Amaan Ali Bangash & Ayaan Ali Bangash joined Gwen Stefani, Jon Bon Jovi for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee and multi-GRAMMY Award winning musician Joe Walsh’s Vetsaid Charity Concert in December 2020. Amaan and Ayaan joined together father Amjad Ali Khan with Joe Walsh for a 3 song EP named ‘Prayers’ as a tribute to doctors, frontline workers and for everyone who is going through these trying times. They are joined by several iconic Los Angeles-based musicians; drummers Stewart Copeland (of the Police) and Jim Keltner, bassists Nathan East, Leland Sklar and Abe Laboriel Sr., keyboardist Ed Roth, guitarists Davey Johnstone (Elton John’s longtime lead guitarist) and multi-instrumentalist Joe Vitale. Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash have been announced as Associate Artists at Wigmore Hall, in advance of the Hall’s 120th anniversary celebrations. They join fellow new Associate Artists such as Lawrence Power, Nitin Sawhney and Gweneth Ann Rand, and are committed to a five-year relationship with the Hall, performing at least once every season. Sarod-playing family are partnering this year with the brilliant, multiple Grammy nominee, Chinese pipa soloist Wu Man. This cross-cultural project supports the AAPI (Asian-American and Pacific Islander) movement, raising awareness to the discrimination, victimization, violence and racism this group has been subjected to in America. Amaan and Ayaan made tier debut at Royal Albert Hall in August 2022 at BBC Proms.