Shankar’s performance is part of IndiaFest, a more than monthlong celebration on the UAB campus and throughout the community honoring Birmingham’s vibrant Indian culture.Sitar player and composer Anoushka Shankar, a singular figure in the Indian classical and progressive world music scenes, will perform with a six-piece classical ensemble at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center on Sunday, April 9.
Deeply rooted in the Indian classical music tradition, Shankar studied under her father and guru, the late Ravi Shankar, and made her professional debut at the age of 13. She received her first Grammy nomination by age 20, becoming the first Indian female and youngest-ever nominee in the World Music category. She received a subsequent four Grammy nominations for her albums “Rise,” “Traveller,” “Traces of You” and the focus of her Alys Stephens Center performance, “Home.”
“Hearing Anoushka Shankar perform live is a transcendental experience,” Electric Review wrote of her show.
Shankar’s performance is part of IndiaFest, a more than monthlong celebration on the UAB campus and throughout the community honoring Birmingham’s vibrant Indian culture. From Holi celebrations to lectures and films, and silk screening workshops to performances by artists including Niyaz featuring Azam Ali, IndiaFest offers a wealth of opportunities in late March and April to experience Indian culture. Discover more events at AlysStephens.org/IndiaFest.
Shankar’s show is set for 7 p.m. in the center’s Jemison Concert Hall. Tickets are $38, $51 and $62. ASC members receive $10 off. For tickets, call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.
UAB students and faculty may purchase $25 tickets; a limited number of $25 tickets are available for each show. All UAB students, faculty and staff may receive a 20 percent discount on single tickets.
Shankar’s dynamic and spiritual musicality has garnered several prestigious accolades, including five Grammy Award nominations, recognition as the youngest — and first female — recipient of a British House of Commons Shield, credit as an Asian Hero by Time magazine and a Songlines Best Artist Award, according to her artist bio.
As a composer, Shankar has encouraged cross-cultural dialogue while demonstrating the versatility of the sitar across musical genres. As a result, she has created a vital body of work with a prominent roster of artists, including Sting, M.I.A., Herbie Hancock, Pepe Habichuela, Karsh Kale, Rodrigo y Gabriela, and Joshua Bell.
Her new album, “Land of Gold,” Shankar’s response to the humanitarian trauma of displaced people fleeing conflict and poverty, was released on Deutsche Grammophon in March 2016; the release was followed by tours of North America, Europe and India.