Inaugural concert celebrates Patel Distinguished Visiting Professorship in Indian Musical Arts

Athens, GA – The richness of North Indian Gayaki ang music filled the Hodgson Concert Hall on October 11, delighting a diverse audience that reflected the power of music to enchant, enthrall and engage.

More than 500 music lovers from Athens and the UGA community were treated to a virtuoso performance of classical sitar and tabla by Shujaat Khan and Abhiman Kaushal. The Sunday concert was the signature public event celebrating Khan’s stint on campus as the Gordhan L. and Virginia B. “Jinx” Patel Distinguished Visiting Professorship in Indian Musical Arts. The rapt audience provided enthusiastic validation for the new endowment, created by the UGA Research Foundation and gifts from dozens of generous donors and friends of the Patels.

“The world is getting smaller and at the same time, it is getting larger,” said Dale Monson, director of the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, in introductory remarks that framed the celebration of Indian music in Athens within the context of the global, multi-cultural world we live in today.

“The reception to us at UGA has been extraordinary,” the world-renowned Khan said following the performance. “To see the passion of the people for the music and artists coming to their city was wonderful and we are most appreciative,” he said.

Frequently featured at the most prestigious music festivals in India, Khan’s fluid, lyrical technique on the sitar is at once embedded in the tradition of Indian classical musicians all the while representing the leading edge of world music. The Patel professorship created the opportunity for this highly accomplished player and vocalist to interact and collaborate with music students at UGA during four Master Class offerings across October 9 and 10. “They understand that this is being offered to them, and they want to come and enjoy it and be a part of it,” Khan said of the students. “This makes it quite simple between us and always (a) pleasure.”

“Jinx and I are very grateful to President Adams, Provost Mace and retired Vice President Huckaby for instigating the establishment of the Distinguished Patel Professorship and to the Board of Directors of the UGA Research Foundation for the extremely generous funding,” said Gordhan Patel, former dean of the graduate school who retired as Vice President for Research in 2005.

L-R: Virginia "Jinx" Patel, Abhiman Kaushal, Shujaat Khan, Gordhan Patel

“Sunday’s performance by Shujaat Husain Khan on the sitar and Abhiman Kaushal on the tabla was superb and set a very high benchmark for future appointees to this professorship,” said Jinx Patel.