My Story

I grew up in Dhaka, Bangladesh. I am the first and the only classical performer in my, otherwise very enlightened family. My mother, Shehida Haque, introduced and lead me on to the sitar, a dream which was unfulfilled for herself. After initial training in vocal music, I was very fortunate to become the disciple of late Ustad Mir Qasem Khan, nephew of the legendary Ustad Alauddin Khan, founder of the Senia Maihar Gharana. I feel lucky to have been embraced in this ground breaking (at the time of its birth) musical ideology and school of thought.

Sitar took over my life and the journey with this rich form of music instilled positive energy and strength within me. I continued to grow professionally and soulfully. I have performed in prestigious venues such as The Kennedy Center, The Bangladesh National Museum, The Sangeet Research Academy, The Purcel Room, South Bank Center, etc. I recorded and performed with world renowned tabla artists such as Pandit Anindo Chatterjee and Ustad Taari Khan. My sitar DVDs, 'Hrydayaragam' was featured in the Women's History Month at the Smithsonian in 2008 and 'Strings of Resonance' was nominated for the Best Classical Music Award in Bangladesh in 2010. I have collaborated with South Indian classical, and jazz saxophone, and created classical compositions with world melodies (with world percussion accompaniments) that have traveled across continents through time, symbolizing the unity of humanity.I have composed music for cello, dance, and sitar ensembles. I was featured in The Aramco World Magazine as a creative artist of South Asian traditon.My artistic creativity leads me on to fuse boundaries of my music & art. I have presented audio visual sitar concerts in major USA, the UK, and Bangladesh venues.  I have composed and directed a Sitar/Oud/Tabla / Arab percussion ensemble, the first ever Arab & South Asian ensemble,  performed at the Wash DC area at the  South Asian Music Festival in July 2023. 

I have founded Sitar Niketan,  my music school,in 2015, pioneering  student sitar ensemble presentations in the East coast ,USA .

- Manu Sharma, Sitar Niketan Student

Alif Laila is the founder and guru of Sitar Niketan. An internationally recognized professional sitarist, Alif has been teaching Indian classical music for over 20 years. Alif created Sitar Niketan to pass down her musical knowledge that she received from her gurus, and make her hopes of blossoming it with refreshed reality. The vision of Sitar Niketan encompasses her dream of a world resonating the beauty of sitar. Born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Alif’s mother first encouraged her to start learning sitar. She began her musical journey with  studying under the late Ustad Mir Qasem Khan, a celebrated Bangladeshi sitarist, studied as a disciple of his uncle, the legendary Ustad Allaudin Khan. She was trained by Mir Qasem in the Senia Maihar gharana, the gharana she teaches today.

Alif moved to the United States after she earned her fine arts degree from Dhaka University. She persisted studying sitar, learning under several celebrated contemporary sitarists including Partha Chatterjee, Krishna Bhatt and Kushal Das. She continued to expand her knowledge and passion for sitar under these gurus. 

She began her career as a full-time musician in 2000. Her premiere performance was at the Bangladesh National Museum. She played the concert alongside the living legend of tabla, Pandit Anindo Chatterjee. 

Since then she has become a well-established performer in world music. Alif has played alongside many of the biggest names in Indian classical music. Her audio-visual work of based on raags and nature was presented in the Smithsonian’s 2008 Women's History Month events. She has entertained crowds at venues and music festivals across North America, Europe, and Asia including famous venues such as the Kennedy and Southbank Centers, UNESCO, Paris. In 2010 her album, Strings of Resonance, received a nomination for the Best Classical Music Award in Bangladesh. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award from ASHA (Wag DC)for her cultural contribution to the community. Aramco World featured Alif in 2020 as an eminent creative sitar artist.

Outside of performing, composing, directing, and producing Indian classical music concerts, Alif continues to work tirelessly guiding her students. Alif dedicates much of her time organizing projects to strengthen Sitar Niketan’s community. The growth of creative new ideas and music for sitar is her constant endeavor. She consistently seeks professional musicians across all genres for new collaborative projects. 

“[Sitar Niketan] is not coming to just learn an instrument… It’s much more than that. It’s a personal thing. It’s something like a family… It’s a very positive inclusive type of energy that she [Alif Laila] has created. It goes beyond just trying to learn how to play sitar.”

- John Carr, Sitar Niketan Student