Arjun K. Verma is both a tradition-bearer and innovator in the world of North Indian Classical music. With over three decades of performance experience, at venues including the United Nations in Geneva, the Fillmore, and Prague Castle, Arjun has emerged with a unique voice on the sitar – both within the tradition of North Indian Classical Music, and through his innovative cross-genre collaborations. 

Hailed by the New York Times as a “fine sitarist,” Arjun shares his cultural heritage in a manner that is fresh, modern, and relevant, while maintaining a high standard of traditional integrity.

Arjun’s work is influenced by his background of being between two worlds, growing up as an Indian Classical musician in the West, trained by the Maestro Ali Akbar Khan – a background which has led to innovative projects such as his internationally acclaimed project with Sri Alam Khan and Del Sol String Quartet, The Resonance Between. Arjun’s performance repertoire has stretched the limits of the sitar as an instrument, and his recording and composing work has applied Indian classical music effectively for TV, opera, and documentary film. He has recorded with artists including the London Symphony Orchestra, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, and Grammy-winning jazz arranger & pianist John Beasley.

Arjun has spent his entire life steeped in the tradition of North Indian Classical Music.  The son of internationally performing sitarist Roop Verma, who was a disciple of Ali Akbar Khan and Ravi Shankar, Arjun began learning sitar from his father at age five. As a teenager, Arjun was deeply inspired by the preeminent sarode maestro, Ali Akbar Khan, and he ultimately moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to study directly with Ali Akbar Khan for eight years.  Since the Maestro’s passing in 2009, Arjun has continued his training under the able guidance of Ali Akbar Khan’s son, Alam Khan, and has also received guidance from Smt. Annapurna Devi.

Sitar virtuoso Arjun K. Verma returns to Portland for a special evening of sitar and tabla, with thrilling rhythms and beautiful melodies that invite the listener into the world of North Indian Classical music. Originally developed with the intention of bringing about inner peace, harmony, and unity, this music is also highly virtuosic, and Arjun carries on the tradition of his teacher, Maestro Ali Akbar Khan, in bringing these qualities to modern audiences.

Indian classical music has its roots in the sacred, ancient traditions of India, and has evolved into a sophisticated and beautiful art music, now performed and enjoyed by people the world over. Traditionally, it has been passed along from teacher to student in an oral tradition. 

North Indian Classical Music has a large repertoire of hundreds of traditional melodies, known as raagas, with thousands of songs and instrumental pieces composed in each. One unique aspect of this type of music is that, though it is firmly rooted in a rich, ancient musical tradition with many elements, there is also a tremendous space for each performer to improvise and express his own feelings. Such a performance is authentically unique, spontaneously composed on the spot, and never duplicated again! The improvisatory nature of North Indian Classical Music provides a rich, fresh, and lively performance for listeners to experience.