The UK-based classical musician and harmonium player Sadakat Aman Khan, was born into a family in Malda where Hindustani classical music was not merely practised but lived. His grandfather, Sangeetacharya Ustad Md. Yunus Khan, a notable classical vocalist, and father, Ustad Sahadat Rana Khan, have both been Sadakat’s gurus and his greatest influences. “Growing up in such an environment meant that riyaaz, raga, and discipline were part of everyday life rather than formal lessons alone,” he says.
A Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science Engineering from the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT University), Bhubaneswar, and an MBA in Global Business from Coventry University London, Sadakat shares that a dual grounding, one in classical arts and the other in modern education, has helped him approach music with both emotional depth and structured thinking.
What took you to the UK and Europe?
My move to the UK was initially driven by education, a decision strongly supported by my mother, Najhum Ara Razi. She firmly believed that academic learning should go hand in hand with artistic pursuit and encouraged me to look beyond immediate comfort in order to gain broader perspective and independence.
Europe, however, became much more than a place of study. It offered an environment where cultural exchange is natural and encouraged. Performing and living here allowed me to present Indian classical music to audiences who approach it with curiosity and openness. It also helped me reflect on my own tradition from a global standpoint, strengthening my resolve to represent the harmonium as both a classical and contemporary voice.
Why did you choose to play Harmonium? Do you not sing?
I do sing, and vocal training has always been an integral part of my musical education. Like most musicians from a classical background, my initial training was rooted in voice culture. However, as a child, I developed a profound attraction to the harmonium, its tonal colour, its resonance, and its intimate relationship with the human voice.
The harmonium felt instinctive to me. Very early on, I received encouragement and appreciation from senior musicians and listeners, which motivated me to explore it more seriously. Over time, the instrument became a medium through which I could express raga in a way that felt both personal and expansive.
You play both Melodica and Harmonium, but what made you stress upon harmonium only, when melodica I believe is a pretty old instrument too?
The melodica is indeed an old and expressive instrument, and I enjoy working with it, particularly in experimental and fusion contexts. However, the harmonium holds a unique historical and cultural position within Indian classical music. It has evolved alongside vocal traditions, adapted itself to raga grammar, and become deeply embedded in pedagogy and performance.
My emphasis on the harmonium comes from this depth of association. While the melodica allows exploration across genres, the harmonium allows me to engage directly with the philosophical and emotional core of Hindustani music. It is not a rejection of other instruments, but a conscious choice to dedicate myself fully to one that carries such layered meaning and responsibility.
What goals do you have when it comes to music?
My primary goal is to broaden the understanding of the harmonium as a serious, independent instrument capable of carrying solo classical performances. I want listeners to experience its full expressive range, beyond its conventional role as an accompanying instrument.
Beyond performance, I aim to contribute through composition, education, and documentation. Writing books, creating structured learning resources, and mentoring young musicians are all part of my long-term vision. Ultimately, my goal is to ensure that tradition is not merely preserved, but thoughtfully carried forward.
People learn to play harmonium when they learn to sing, and is most commonly played as an accompanying instrument. What made you decide to make people identify harmonium as an instrument with an individual identity, since we rarely get to see just a harmonium player?
The idea of presenting the harmonium as an independent instrument arose from both observation and experience. Traditionally, the harmonium has been used as a pedagogical and accompanying tool, supporting vocalists by providing pitch, stability, and tonal reference. While this role is invaluable, it gradually confined the instrument to the background, shaping a perception that it exists only to serve another voice.
From a musical standpoint, this limitation does not align with the instrument’s actual capabilities. The harmonium possesses a continuous tonal body, a wide pitch range, and the ability to sustain notes in a manner closely aligned with the human voice. These qualities make it exceptionally well-suited for raga development, aalap, and slow elaborative passages. With controlled bellows technique and disciplined fingering, the harmonium can articulate meend-like phrasing, subtle gamak suggestions, and dynamic tonal shading, elements essential to Hindustani classical expression.
Another important factor is intent. Instruments acquire identity not merely through design, but through how they are approached. When musicians consciously perform solo recitals, structuring a concert with aalap, vistar, taans, and layakari, the audience is invited to listen differently. By removing the vocalist, the harmonium is no longer perceived as supportive; it becomes narrative. This shift in listening is critical.
Historically, many instruments underwent similar journeys. The sarangi, for instance, was long relegated to accompaniment before gaining recognition as a solo concert instrument. The harmonium, I believe, is at a similar crossroads. My decision to focus on solo harmonium performance is therefore not an act of rebellion against tradition, but an expansion of it, allowing the instrument to claim a space that its musical structure has always justified.
What are the most common myths that you have heard when it comes to harmonium?
One of the most persistent myths is that the harmonium cannot express the depth and subtlety of Hindustani ragas. This belief often arises from the assumption that the instrument’s fixed reeds restrict its ability to convey nuanced ornamentation. However, this overlooks how musical expression is achieved through phrasing, breath control via bellows, and raga-specific movement rather than mechanical flexibility alone.
For example, ragas such as Yaman, Bhoopali, and Bihag rely heavily on tonal purity, sustained notes, and measured phrase development, qualities that the harmonium handles with exceptional clarity. In Yaman, the harmonium’s sustained resonance supports the expansive unfolding of the teevra Ma, while in Bhoopali, its clean tonal architecture reinforces the raga’s meditative simplicity.
Another myth is that complex or serious ragas cannot be effectively rendered on the harmonium. In practice, ragas like Darbari Kanada, Malkauns, and Bageshree have profound emotional weight and demand slow, deliberate exploration, an approach well-suited to the harmonium’s ability to hold and shape long phrases. When played with controlled bellows and thoughtful pacing, the instrument can evoke the gravity of Darbari Kanada or the introspective softness of Bageshree with remarkable depth.
A further misconception is that fast, rhythmically intricate passages lack clarity on the harmonium. Yet ragas such as Kafi, Khamaj, and Desh demonstrate how taans, layakari, and rhythmic play can be articulated cleanly when technique and rhythmic understanding are strong.
Ultimately, these myths persist not because of the instrument’s limitations, but because of how narrowly it has been presented. When the harmonium is approached with the same seriousness afforded to other classical instruments, its expressive range across ragas becomes unmistakably clear.
Upcoming collaborations/projects/shows.
I have several upcoming projects that mark important milestones in my journey. These include a solo harmonium lunchtime recital at St James’s Church, Sussex Gardens, London, which will be the first harmonium recital ever held in a church.
I will also be performing a solo harmonium concert at the Nehru Centre, High Commission of India, London, on February 18. In addition, I am currently working on an upcoming album with maestro and composer Aniruddha Roy, exploring new sonic dimensions while remaining rooted in classical aesthetics.
Alongside these, further international collaborations, recordings, and educational initiatives are in progress, reflecting my continued commitment to expanding the harmonium’s presence on the global stage.
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