Hidayat Inayat Khan

Hidayat Inayat-Khan

Hidayat Inayat-Khan (Urdu: هدايت عنایت خان ) (born on 6 August 1917) is a classical composer, conductor and Representative-General of the International Sufi Movement.[1]

He is the son of Sufi Master Hazrat Inayat Khan and Pirani Ameena Begum; brother of Noor Inayat Khan and Vilayat Inayat Khan; and father of Fazal Inayat-Khan, who led the International Sufi Movement from 1968 to 1982.

His western musical education began in Paris[2] in 1932 at the L'Ecole Normale de Musique, in the violin class of Bernard Sinsheimer; the composition class of Nadia Boulanger; and the orchestra class of Diran Alexanian. Later, he attended chamber music courses given by the Lener Quartet in Budapest.

In 1942, Hidayat Inayat-Khan became Professor of music at the Lycee Musical de Dieulefit, France, and later, in the Netherlands, joined the orchestra of Haarlem as violinist. He followed the courses of orchestra conducting by Toon Verhey. In 1952, Hidayat Inayat-Khan conducted the orchestra of 's-Hertogenbosch for the world wide broadcasting of his Po'me en Fa for orchestra and piano and in the same year, founded his first chamber music orchestra ensemble.

Performance highlights in Hidayat Inayat-Khan's professional life include the playing, on 4 May 1957, of his Zikar Symphony at Salle Pleyel, Paris, conducted by George Pretre, in a Pasdeloup concert. On the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's centenary, on 21 November 1969, the Gandhi Symphony[3] was played in a special concert organised by UNESCO in the Netherlands. This was repeated in 1971 during a broadcasting of "The voice of America", as well as on the United Nations Radio in the USA and was later recorded by the US Armed Forces Radio Stations in a worldwide Carmen Dragon show.

On 15 October 1971, the Virginia Symphonic Poem was played in honour of the Bicentennial of America. On Bavarian Radio La Monotonia was played in a Composer's Portrait in 1972 and The Message Symphony was played in 1977.

More recently, on 15 and 16 February 2002, the Suite Symphonic and La Monotonia, Op. 7 for Orchestra were performed by the Symphonisches Orchester München-Andechs with Andreas Pascal Heinzmann conducting in Munich, Germany.

On 5 May 2007, the Royal Legend Symphonic Poem (op. 46) will receive its world premiere in Munich. It will be performed by the Zorneding-Baldham Orchestra with Andreas Pascal Heinzmann conducting.

He has composed numerous works, among them Concerto for strings Op 38, Quartet for Strings Op. 45, Poem in F, and a number of choral pieces including Chanson Exotique, Awake for Morning, and a collection of Sufi hymns. He is a founding member of the European Composers' Union, and his music has frequently been broadcast internationally. Besides his symphonic works Hidayat Inayat-Khan has written choral compositions, Sufi songs and hymns as well as chamber music. Many of his compositions are now available on CD.

Hidayat Inayat-Khan's research in music could be described as a cross-point between eastern monophony and western polyphony; respecting western harmonic structures while also expressing the inspiring flavour of eastern ragas.

In 1988, Hidayat Inayat-Khan assumed the role of Representative-General of the International Sufi Movement and Pir-o-Murshid of its Inner School.[4] He divides his time between the Netherlands and the family home in Suresnes, but travels extensively, giving classes and lectures on Sufism.

Music

Books

in German language:

in Russian language:

Video

Audio books

Notes

  1. Sufism and the 'modern' in Islam by Martin van Bruinessen, Julia Day Howell published I.B.Tauris, 2007 ISBN 1-85043-854-4, page 265
  2. The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music by Alison Arnold. Published Taylor & Francis, 2000 ISBN 0-8240-4946-2 pp. 563–564
  3. The Music of India by Reginald Massey, published Abhinav Publications, 1996 ISBN 81-7017-332-9-page 85
  4. Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices by J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, bublished by ABC-CLIO, 2002 vol. 4 pp. 1227–1228

External links