Tommy Khosla

Tommy Khosla is a sitarist and composer who blends sounds from Latin jazz, hip-hop and electronic music into his playing. His debut solo album, Vignettes, which he produced himself, drew praise from Songlines magazine and BBC Asian Network. Winning the UK Awards for Young Musicians at age 17, Tommy has since developed a unique voice in music, placing the sitar in contemporary contexts. Taking inspiration from jazz, Bossa, lo-fi, and electronic music, Tommy is challenging stereotypes about the musical spaces in which the sitar can be played. He currently studies with Anoushka Shankar and Ricky Romain. He performs everywhere, from Birmingham Symphony Hall with the City’s orchestra to Oxford University’s World Music series and St Thomas’ Hospital’s Lyrix Organix.

Tommy’s recent collaborations include playing on the title track of Hagan’s "Good Food" EP (Soulection), alongside Sheila Maurice-Grey of KOKOROKO. Always looking to push the sitar beyond its classical roots, he co-founded JAWARI—a multi-disciplinary collective anchored in Indian classical tradition but fueled by global jazz, poetry and percussion.

In JAWARI, Tommy leads on sitar alongside Latin Grammy-winner Gregorio Merchán on percussion, guitarist Taylor Frost, saxophonist Billie Sophoclides and Nashville’s inaugural Youth Poet Laureate, Lagnajita Mukhopadhyay. After selling out shows in London, they’re gearing up to release their debut album, ROAD RASA, in 2024 with backing from Help Musicians and the British Arts Council.