Ravi Shankar (1920-2012)
20th December 2012
In 2010, Ravi's Symphony premiered at the BBC Proms with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by David Murphy and his daughter Anoushka Shankar playing the sitar.
Biography
The legendary sitarist and composer was India's most esteemed musical Ambassador and a singular phenomenon in the classical music worlds of east and west. As a performer, composer, teacher and writer, Ravi Shankar has done more for Indian music than any other musician. His catalogue is comprised of over five hundred compositions, with music for film and ballet in India, Canada, Europe, and the United States. Some prominent film credits include Charly, Gandhi and Apu Trilogy. Hailed by ex-Beatle George Harrison as "the Godfather of World Music", Ravi Shankar's majestic ragas and virtuoso technique communicate a spiritual essence that continues to captivate audiences around the world.
Ravi Shankar is an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and is a member of the United Nations International Rostrum of composers. He has received many awards and honours from his own country and from all over the world, including fourteen doctorates, the Padma Vibhushan, Desikottam, the Magsaysay Award from Manila, the Fukuoka grand Prize from Japan, the Crystal award from Davos, with the title Global Ambassador. In 1986, he was nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha, India's upper house of Parliament. And in 2002, Ravi Shankar won his third Grammy Award for the CD Full Circle/Live at Carnegie Hall in the best album in World Music category.
