Zakir Hussain and Masters of Percussion

The Weis Center is deeply saddened by the loss of Indian tabla master Zakir Hussain, who passed away on Sunday, December 15, at the age of 73.

A former guest of the Weis Center, Zakir's gentle spirit graced our stage a number of years ago and he was slated to appear again in April 2025. His passion for world music was palpable and his generosity with our patrons will never be forgotten.

We send our condolences to Zakir's family and all who mourn this tremendous loss.

The Weis Center will contact ticket holders directly to discuss refund and exchange options.

We encourage you to learn more about Zakir's extraordinary life and career: https://www.npr.org/2024/12/15/nx-s1-5229593/zakir-hussain-dead-india-shakti-tabla

Thursday, April 3, 7:30 p.m. – canceled
Weis Center Concert Hall

Zakir Hussain is appreciated both in the field of percussion and in the music world at large as an international phenomenon and one of the greatest musicians of our time. A classical tabla virtuoso of the highest order, his consistently brilliant and exciting performances have established him as a national treasure in his own country of India and as one of India’s reigning cultural ambassadors.

The recipient of countless honors, Hussain was awarded the distinction of Padma Vibhushan in January 2023 by the government of India. Previously, he had received the titles of Padma Bhushan in 2002 and Padma Shri in 1988, becoming the youngest percussionist to be awarded these titles that are given to civilians of merit. In 1990, he received the Indo-American Award in recognition for his outstanding cultural contribution to U.S.-India relations. In April 1991, he was presented with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award by the president of India, making him one of the youngest musicians to receive this recognition from India’s governing cultural institute. In 2019, he became a Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellow, a lifetime position awarded to only 40 performing artists at a time.

In 2007, readers’ polls from Modern Drummer and Drum! magazines named him Best World Music and Best Worldbeat Drummer, respectively. While in 2009, Hussain received a Grammy for Best Contemporary World Music Album for Global Drum Project, from his group with Mickey Hart, Giovanni Hidalgo and Sikiru Adepoju. Also, in 2009, Hussain was named Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters by France’s Ministry of Culture and Communication for his extraordinary artistic and cultural contributions. He was presented with SFJAZZ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 for his “unparalleled contribution to the world of music.” In 2022, he received the Aga Khan Music Awards’ Lifetime Achievement award and the 2022 Kyoto Prize Laureate in Arts and Philosophy.

A child prodigy, Hussain was touring by the age of 12. He came to the U.S. in 1970, performing at the Fillmore East in New York City with Pandit Ravi Shankar and embarking on an illustrious international career.

Hussain has been voted Best Percussionist by Modern Drummer’s Readers Poll, by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2020, and by the Downbeat Critics Poll in 2020 and 2021.