A soulful odyssey: Ustad Ghulam Abbas Khan performs at Chicago’s Al Larson Prairie Center

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Ustad Ghulam Abbas Khan, center, with musicians, Shehzad Marcus on keyboard, and young table prodicy Abhijeet Kastha, at the May 31 performance in Chicago. PHOTOS: Asian Media USA

On May 31, 2025, the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg, Illinois, rang with soul-stirring melodies, as the renowned musician Ustad Ghulam Abbas Khan took center-stage for a night of Hindustani classical, Sufi music, and ghazals.

Organized by Khurram Syed of DK Omsheel Production and  Chicago-based community leader Iftekhar Sharif, the event attracted connoisseurs of music for a four-hour performance, according to a press release from Asian Media USA.

Ustad Ghulam Abbas Khan being greeted by organizers with a bouquet at the May 31 performance in Chicago.

Emceed by Amin Haider, who added anecdotes from the life of Khan and how the young Ustad, at just 16, faced the daunting challenge of performing classical music a genre unfamiliar to him at Delhi’s Daulat Ram College. Despite his inexperience, his innate talent shone through, earning praise from none other than Pandit Debu Chaudhary, who paused the performance to personally tune the tanpura, ensuring the young artist’s brilliance was perfectly showcased.

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Ustad Ghulam Abbas Khan, a scion of the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana, delivered a performance that was nothing short of transcendent, displayed his mastery of khayal, thumri, dadra, Sufi kalams, bhajans, and ghazals at the Chicago event.

Another performer was Chicago’s own classical singer Payel Ganguly.

Chicago-based classical singer Payel Ganguly performing on May 31, 2025, in Chicago.

The musicians included Shehzad Marcus on keyboard, and young tabla prodigy Abhijeet Kastha.

A section of the audience enjoying the performance by Ustad Ghulam Abbas Khan at the Al Larson Prairie Center in Chicago, May 31, 2025.

Distinguished guests, included Nayab Hamid Ali Khan, son of the legendary Ustad Hamid Ali Khan, and community leaders such as Paul Chopra, Ramesh Punatar, Chris Veteran, and Syed Razi, alongside US and Indian Army veterans.

Sponsors of the event included Masood Ali of Ali’s Catering, Ena Agnihotri of Radisson Hotel in Schaumburg, Urdu Institute, Aftab Baig of Monty’s Banquet, Windy City Pharmacies, South Asian Seniors, United States Disability Cricket, and Universal Seniors Association.

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