It was announced today that nine-time Grammy-nominated sitarist, producer, film composer and passionate activist Anoushka Shankar will receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Oxford. The prestigious award is presented “in recognition of her outstanding achievements in the music industry” and highlights Anoushka’s profound impact on the global music landscape and her unwavering commitment to bridging cultural divides through her art. In a remarkable first accolade, Anoushka receives the award. He is the first musician of Indian origin to receive this coveted award.
Grammy-nominated sitarist Anoushka Shankar will be awarded an honorary doctorate from Oxford University on June 19: “This is really a pinching moment in my career.”
Anoushka Shankar shares, “This is really a tricky moment in my career; I never thought I would receive such an award, let alone from one of the most prestigious universities in the world. I am deeply grateful to the University of Oxford for awarding me an honorary doctorate. I am also thoughtful and grateful for all my previous teachers who brought me to this point: I was fortunate to receive the most valuable music education and incredible mentorship and support in my career since I was 13 under the guidance of my mother . It’s all thanks to them.”
Anoushka will graduate on June 19 at the world-renowned university’s annual academic Encaenia ceremony alongside Warren East, Sir Demis Hassabis, Dr Grad.
On the most recent professional front, Anoushka released the first two parts of her mini-album trilogy with “Chapter I: Forever, For Now” in October last year, followed by “Chapter II: How Dark It Is Before Dawn” in April this year. In March 2024, her duet A Rock Somewhere with six-time Grammy(logo) award-winning British musician Jacob Collier was released as part of his latest album Djesse Vol. 4.
She is currently in her 30th year of live performances as a sitarist and has been on an extensive world tour across four continents in the 2023/24 season, delivering monumental performances to sold-out venues including the Sydney Opera House, Delhi’s Siri Fort and at Koerner Hall in Toronto, Pioneer Works in New York, Philharmonie de Paris and Barbican, London.
Anoushka Shankar is a unique figure in India’s classical and progressive world music scene. Her dynamic and spiritual musicianship has garnered several prestigious awards including nine GRAMMY nominations, recognition as an Asian Hero by TIME magazine, an Ivor Novello Award nomination, a Songlines Best Artist Award and becoming the youngest and first female recipient of one British House of Commons Shield and appointment as Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music.
Deeply rooted in the Indian tradition of classical music, she studied exclusively with her father and guru, the late Ravi Shankar, from the age of nine, and made her professional debut as a classical sitarist at 13. She immersed herself on the world stage at a young age. She is a unique, cross-genre artist in all areas – classical and contemporary, acoustic and electronic. Through their bold and collaborative approach to composing,
Anoushka has created an important body of work that includes artists such as Sting, MIA, Herbie Hancock, Arooj Aftab and Joshua Bell. Since her third studio album, 2005’s Rise, Anoushka has explored ways to integrate the sitar into new contexts. She has used the instrument to address current social issues – the Syrian refugee crisis or violence against women in India – and to make great arguments for connecting different musical traditions. She has also expanded her interests to composing for visual media, composing the music for the British Film Institute’s restoration of the 1927 Indian silent film in 2017 Shiraz and co-composer of the score to Mira Nair’s six-part BBC series A suitable boy.
ALSO READ: Anoushka Shankar gets two nominations for Grammy Awards 2023; says: “It was really a breathtaking moment to realize that.”
BOLLYWOOD NEWS – LIVE UPDATES
Visit us for latest Bollywood News, New Bollywood Movies update, Box office collection, New Movies Release, Bollywood News Hindi, Entertainment News, Bollywood Live News Today & Upcoming Movies 2024 and stay updated with latest Stay updated with Hindi movies only on Bollywood Hungama.