Amjad Ali Khan

David Murphy has collaborated with Amjad Ali Khan on two major projects, both of which are performed with orchestra.

Widely regarded as the world’s finest sarod player, Amjad Ali Khan comes from six generations of musicians, with some even speculating that it was one of his ancestors who invented the sarod. His career has seen him perform at Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, Palais des Beaux-Arts and the Wigmore Hall, from the BBC Proms to the Hong Kong Arts Festival.

A long-time fan of European classical music, working with David Murphy has enabled Amjad Ali Khan to fulfil his dream of composing works for sarod and orchestra.

Samaagam

In the Sanskrit language, the word samaagam translates as, ‘a confluence or flowing together.’

Created by Amjad Ali Khan and David Murphy with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra this stunning collaborative work suggests by its very nature a powerful and significant unification. While many musicians have attempted to forge East-meets-West connections, rarely have they been as successful in creating as seamless and exhilarating a bond.

This 40-minute work can be programmed by chamber orchestras and combined in the first half with repertoire that inspired the concerto and demonstrates the similarities and differences between the two traditions.

Listen to extracts of Samaagam on the Recordings page.

Roots of Fire

Building on the experience of Samaagam, a new work, Roots of Fire was created by Amjad Ali Khan and David Murphy in 2017.

This piece was composed including musical material produced by children aged 10-11 in a large-scale series of school workshops across Luton, Slough and Leicester in the UK, generously supported by the Bagri Foundation.

The 40-minute work can now be programmed by any chamber orchestra, combined with other works which complement and inspired its creation.

The large-scale education workshops that combine with Roots of Fire can be repeated in any community. Working with children and local musicians, Murphy and the orchestra explore musical collaboration through the fusion of Eastern and Western traditions.

Watch a video of Roots of Fire on the Media page.