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Vikash Maharaj
Vikash Maharaj
	Vikash Maharaj
Background information
Born	1 July 1957 (age 67)
Origin	Varanasi, India
Genres	Indian classical music, jazz
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	Sarod
Labels	Hammer Musik, Panchnaad
Website	www.maharajtrio.com

Pandit Vikash Maharaj (born 1 July 1957) is an Indian sarod player. In his childhood, he initially learnt to play the tabla and then discovered and studied the sarod as his preferred instrument.^{[citation needed]}

Early life and background

Vikash was born in Varanasi in 1957 into a family of musicians(Banaras Gharana). He was instructed on the sarod by Rajesh Chandra Moitra of the school of Indian classical Maihar gharana. His formal schooling was complemented by lessons from his family including his uncle Kishan Maharaj.^[1]

Music

Vikash performs Indian classical music, jazz and crossover between Indian music and Jazz. He tours and participates in international crossover festivals such as the WOMAD, the Diwali festival in New Zealand or the International Leprosy Eradication Festival. During his tours through California, Vikash Maharaj was accompanied by his son and tabla player Prabhash Maharaj.^[2]

Vikash has performed with musicians such as Prabhash Maharaj, Abhishek Maharaj, Joshua Geisler, Tom Bailey, Vishal Maharaj^{[citation needed]} or the German a cappella group Wise Guys.^[3] On initiation by German music journalist and author Joachim-Ernst Berendt, Vikash participated in the crossover Jazz record "Raga" in 1996. The work was composed by Patrick Bebelaar, and participating musicians were Patrick Bebelaar, Frank Kroll, Prabhash Maharaj and Subhash Maharaj.^[4] In a second cooperation with Bebelaar, Vikash Maharaj and his son Prabhash contributed to the crossover album "Point of View". "Point of View" was a commissioned composition by the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart and premiered in Stuttgart in 2001.^[5]^[6] He was awarded the Certificate of Honour (D.I.G. Germany) in 2016 [1] and the Yash Bharti Award by the Uttar Pradesh Government in 2014^[7]