Hanif Khan

Hanif Khan is a professional tabla virtuoso based in London whose performances enliven stages from intimate theatre productions to major international music festivals. With a deep grounding in traditional North Indian rhythms, he brings the tabla’s rich tonal palette into a variety of settings, whether in recording sessions for albums and film scores or in collaborative projects across jazz, electronic, and world-fusion genres. His musical journey began under the tutelage of his father, Ustad Hidayat Khan, who was a well-respected tabla player in India. 

Hanif Khan is an expert in Delhi kayda tabla playing. Hanif Khan is renowned for sharing classical Indian forms of music and for creating new forms by lending his talent to the genre of 'fusion'. Hanif Khan's musical career has taken an international route. An accomplished, classically trained Indian percussionist, he is versatile. He has accompanied acclaimed artists such as Hari Prashad Chaurasia, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Pandit Arvind Parikh, Ustad Nishad Khan, Ghulam Ali, Rona Majumdar, Ghulam Mustafa, and El Massry Hussein, Pandit Debasis Chakroborty, Pandit Ajay Prasanna and Rajan Sajan, among others. 

His career has included international performances in Europe, the Middle East, and North America, as well as UK-wide performances, including prestigious concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, The Royal Opera House, Edinburgh International Festival, Glastonbury, and Womad. His audiences have included members of the British Royal Family. 

He has been the resident Tabla player on The Kite Runner since 2013. Hanif Khan was rewarded by the National Music Conservatory of the Noor Al-Hussein Foundation and the International Music Centre for his contribution to the International Meeting on the Promotion of the Local Music Heritage in the Age of Globalisation. He is also engaged in teaching tabla to students in the UK. 

As a teacher, Hanif shares his passion for taal through one-on-one lessons, group workshops and masterclasses, guiding students of all levels to develop both technical precision and expressive freedom. Equally at home accompanying classical vocalists and dancers or stepping into experimental ensembles, he’s committed to preserving the art of tabla while exploring new musical frontiers in the UK and beyond.