RISHAB RIKHIRAM SHARMA TUNING TRADITION

There's something magnetic about a man who can make a centuries-old instrument sound brand new.

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Rishab Rikhiram Sharma, the youngest and final disciple of the late sitar legend Pandit Ravi Shankar, is that rare artist who moves between eras, much like a melody gliding through octaves. He isn't just playing the sitar; he breathes a new life into it, one note at a time.

When he performs, time seems to soften its edges; that's how skillfully he plays. The henna-stained hands, the tranquil focus, the trance-like surrender; everything about him carries a certain serenity. Rooted in legacy yet unrestricted by it, Rishab's music invites the listener to pause, to breathe and to simply exist. There's an unhurried poetry to the way he moves through his compositions, as if he's not trying to impress but to connect.

Born into the illustrious Rikhi Ram family, Rishab was surrounded by music long before he consciously chose it. Ironically, his earliest fascination wasn't with the sitar but with guitar, the so-called “cooler” instrument of his youth. But destiny, ever mischievous, had other plans. The first time he held a sitar, something clicked. What began as curiosity soon became a calling. The instrument that once felt too sacred to touch became his voice, his comfort and his cause.