Tehzeeb Music Festival Karachi 2011
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German Consul General Dr. Brecht (middle) meeting with the Director of the Tehzeeb Foundation, Mrs. Malahat Awan (right). Also present: Mrs. Gudrun Haider, Vice Consul for Press & Culture
(© German Consulate)
The German Consulate Karachi provided an allowance of 100.000.- Pakistani Rupees to the Tehzeeb Foundation for the support of the Tehzeeb Festival Karachi and the participation of the famous sitar player Ashraf Sharif Khan from Germany therein.
About the musician
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Ustad Ashraf Sharif Khan performing.
(© Tehzeeb Foundation)
Ashraf Sharif Khan is the worthy son of the Sitar maestro Ustad Muhammad Sharif Khan Poonchwala of the famous Poonch Gharana who has been a contemporary musician of late Ustad Vilayat Khan and Pandit Ravi Shankar.
Ashraf has been a child prodigy and has shown his immense talent in playing the sitar at the age of ten. He has been brought up in the Guru Sishya / Ustad to student tradition, inheriting a musical tradition handed down from father to son.
Ashraf's music combines an astounding technical proficiency with perfection in musical expression. The melodic beauty of his style, accentuated by his dynamic rhythmic development and the virtuoso technique provide a unique style of his own. His music transcends regional boundaries, and appeals to all.
In 1990, he received the Khwaja-Khurshid-Anwar Award and the Hazrat-Amir-Khusro Award.
In 1992, he was chosen by the United States Information Agency to represent Pakistan at the International Sound Celebration Festival in Louisville, Kentucky(USA).
In 1997, he received the Colombo University KelaniyaAward(Sri Lanka).
During that time Ashraf has given numerous performances in the major cities of Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Europe and the United States.
In 1999, he performed at the prestigious Medina Festival of Tunis inTunisia, at Okinawa's
“Sugar Hall” in Japan, at “Symphony Space” at the Manhattan Broadway in New York, and at the “Cairo Opera” in Egypt.
Since then he has given numerous concerts in major cities of Europe and USA.
He also proved his genius in the jazz and world music field and has been appreciated widely by contemporary international musicians. He lives in Germany
