Mohindar Brar Sambhi Endowed Chair in Indian Music position taken up by Anna Morcom
In the heart of Los Angeles, Schoenberg Hall will play host to a special event on Saturday, April 28, at 8pm. The concert marks the retirement of Daniel Neuman, the inaugural holder of the Mohindar Brar Sambhi Endowed Chair in Indian Music at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music Department of Ethnomusicology.
The concert, which is free for all, will celebrate the life and legend of Ustad Sabri Khan, a pioneer of the sarangi. Ustad Sabri Khan is a notable figure in Indian music, known for his mastery of the traditional instrument.
Professor Daniel Neuman is retiring at the end of this academic year, and the concert is being sponsored by his successor, Professor Anna Morcom. Anna Morcom, a renowned scholar and ethnomusicologist, has been appointed as the next holder of the Mohindar Brar Sambhi Endowed Chair in Indian Music.
Professor Morcom, who holds a doctorate from SOAS (the School of Oriental and African Studies), is known for her research into Indian and Tibetan musical traditions. Her work often explores the intersections of music with religion, healing, and cultural heritage in South Asia, particularly focusing on Tibetan and Indian music cultures.
Her most recent book, Illicit Words of Indian Dance: Cultures of Exclusion, was awarded the Marcia Herndon Prize of the Gender and Sexualities section of the Society for Ethnomusicology, and the Merriam Prize of the Society for Ethnomusicology. The prize committee described the book as "an outstanding work of mature scholarship...the breadth of this book is stunning."
The Sambhi Chair was established in 2005 to support the performance, study, and teaching of Indian music in the Department of Ethnomusicology. With this concert, Professor Morcom continues the mission of the Sambhi Chair, using music as a means to bridge cultures and celebrate diversity.
Schoenberg Hall, located on the UCLA campus, will provide an intimate setting for this unique event. With no further ticket purchase required, music lovers from all walks of life are invited to attend and celebrate the legacy of Ustad Sabri Khan and the contributions of Professor Daniel Neuman and Professor Anna Morcom to the world of Indian music.
This special event at Schoenberg Hall on April 28 will serve not only as a celebration of Ustad Sabri Khan's life and legacy but also as an opportunity to appreciate the academic contributions made by Professor Daniel Neuman and his successor, Professor Anna Morcom, in the field of education-and-self-development, particularly in Indian music. During the entertainment-filled concert, attendees can expect to be moved by the traditional music being performed, a testament to the ongoing mission of the Sambhi Chair to foster cultural diversity through music.
