Jasdeep Singh Degun (born 9 September 1991) is a British Sitar player and composer from Leeds. He is signed to the Real World Records label, on which he released his debut album, Anomaly.[1] In May 2022, he became artist-in-residence at Opera North[2] and in 2024 he was made the first Innovate Fellow at the Royal Northern College of Music.[3] Degun is the first sitar player to be awarded a Royal Philharmonic Society Best Instrumentalist Award.[4]
Early life, education and training
Jasdeep Singh Degun's introduction to Indian classical music took place in his primary school where he began his training in vocal music with Shrimati Gunwant Kaur. He also was a part of the school choir and learnt piano.[5] Degun began to study sitar at the age of fifteen under the guidance of Ustad Dharambir Singh MBE, who was himself a pupil of Ustad Vilayat Khan. Growing up, Degun was a member of Tarang and SAMYO (South Asian Music Youth Orchestra), established by Dharambir Singh, which brought together classical musical traditions from across India.[6]
In 2011, Degun featured in the three-part BBC Two series Goldie's Band: By Royal Appointment which culminated in a performance in Buckingham Palace before Prince Harry.[7] As a participant of the programme, Degun was supported by mentors Guy Chambers, Soweto Kinch, Ms Dynamite, Steve Abbott and Cerys Matthews.[8]
Jasdeep Singh Degun works as a composer, concert performer and music director. He regularly performs solo Indian classical concerts accompanied by a tabla player;[11] with chamber ensembles including the Scottish Ensemble;[12] and with orchestra.[13] In 2022, Degun performed at the Royal Commonwealth Service in the presence of His Royal Highness King Charles III at Westminster Abbey,[14] aired live on BBC One.[15]
Real World Records
In 2016, Degun was awarded a Sky Academy Arts Scholarship to work on an album of contemporary and classical music, Anomaly. As part of the scholarship, he was mentored by multi-instrumentalist and producer, Nitin Sawhney, who also co-wrote and performed on a track on the album. Anomaly features 33 musicians including sitarist Roopa Panesar, South Indian percussionist Pirashanna Thevarajah, esraj violinist Kirpal Panesar, and a 16-piece string ensemble.[16]
In 2021, Degun signed to Real World Records and released his debut album Anomaly in May 2022. The album was taken to the concert platform with a nine-piece ensemble in July 2022,[17] launching the tour at London's Kings Place on 14 May 2022.[18] The Anomaly album again went on tour with a further series of concerts in 2023.[19]
Opera North
In May 2022, Jasdeep Singh Degun was made artist-in-residence at Opera North, marking his ongoing relationship with the company which began in 2017 when he was music director and composer for India's Children: Partition, a collaborative project between Opera North and South Asian Arts-uk in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the partition of India and Pakistan[20]
In 2019, Degun was commissioned by Opera North to write Arya: Concerto for Sitar and Orchestra[21] which premiered with the orchestra of Opera North in Huddersfield Town Hall in February 2020.
