January 01, 2025
Renowned and beloved tabla player, Ustad Zakir Hussain passed away on December 15, 2024, in San Francisco, USA, at the age of 73 years. Hussain was the eldest son of legendary tabla maestro Ustad Alla Rakha and began his tabla training under his father’s guidance at a very young age. At the age of 12, he gave his first stage performance. Hussain collaborated with many artists across various genres and brought Indian percussion to the world stage. He composed music for films and events, including three concertos, with his third concerto being the first-ever tabla concerto performed by an orchestra—it was premiered by the Symphony Orchestra of India in 2015. Hussain also taught music at Princeton University and Stanford University, USA. Hussain was the recipient of many awards including the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and four Grammy awards.
Image Source: zakirhussain.com
