Ravi Shankar is an internationally known Indian sitar maestro. As an exponent of Indian music and incomparable Sitarist, Pandit Ravi Shankar enjoys great popularity all over the world.

Ravi Shankar received training in sitar from Ustad Alaudin Khan. His musical performance have an aesthetic appeal. The first Indian to compose music for foreign films, he has made a notable contribution in popularising Indian music abroad. He opened Kiunara school of music in Los Angeles in 1967..
Ravi Shankar has received a number of prestigious awards and honours, both national and international.   International Music Vensco Award, Silver Bear and Venice Festival Award, Magsaysay award are some of them. In 1976, he was elected a fellow of the Sangeet Natak Academy and in 1962 and 1980 was the recipient of Presidential Awards. He was also awarded Bharat Ratna. Some universities in India as well as abroad have conferred doctorates on him. The government of India honoured him by nominating to Rajya Sabha in 1986. In 1999, he received the International prize for film and media music in Germany. His autobiography "My Life and My Music " is an extremely revealing document of his musical career.

He wrote and conducted orchestral music for ballet, set to Nehrus's 'Discovery of India' and the 'Festival of India' music with top musicians of Europe and America. During 1949-55 he served as the Director of Music, All India Radio. He also composed music for the welcome song of the IXth Asiad held at Delhi.

Even though he enjoyed many privileges in his career, his personal life was not smooth. He was born in a Bengali brahmin family. His father was Syam Shanker who was a barrister and his mother was Hemanginee. He  married Annapurna Devi the daughter of his guru Baba Allaudin Khan. They had a son,  but it ended in divorce. He got involved with American concert promoter Sue Jones and their union produced one daughter, 'Grammy winner' Norah Jones. Later he married  Sukanya Rajan who was his admirer. Now Ravishankar lives in California with his second wife Sukanya Rajan. Their daughter Anoushka is a sitarist and she performs in concerts with her father.  

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