Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan passes away: A pictorial tribute to the classical music maestro

Music maestro Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan passed away at the age of 66 today. He was a well-known musician of Dilli Gharana. (Photo: Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan/ Facebook, Designed by Shambhavi Dutta)

A recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Iqbal Ahmed Khan was bestowed with titles such as "Gaayan Acharya” and “Sangeet Rattan." (Photo: Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan/ Facebook)

He was also the founder of Dilli Darbar and began his career at a young age -- when he was just 4 years old. (Photo: Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan/ Facebook)

Under the guidance of his teacher, who was also his grandfather, Iqbal Ahmed flourished and was brought up in Dilli Gharana itself. (Photo: Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan/ Facebook)

Many from the music fraternity mourned the musician's death with singer Vishal Dadlani tweeting, "Shocked &; saddened by the demise of #UstadIqbalAhmedKhan Sahab, head of the Dilli Gharana. I had a brief interaction with him during #IndianIdol2020, & he seemed very kind and empathetic about music & all musicians. I'd hoped to go & meet him in person once the pandemic was over." (Photo: Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan/ Facebook)

Former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar too wrote on social media, “Saddened by the sudden passing away of Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan Sahib, Khalifa of the #DelhiGharana Gayaki. An exceptional human being, he leaves behind a rich legacy in music. My heartfelt condolences to the members of his family and admirers. May his soul rest in peace.” (Photo: Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan/ Facebook)

Delhi Deputy CM, Manish Sisodia too took to Twitter, sharing, "The khalifa of Dilli Gharana, Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan is no more. An unmatched repository of Delhi’s rich musical history & a generous guru, he will be missed by all. Condolences to his disciples & family.”(Photo: Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan/ Facebook)

Here, the late singer can be seen posing with Gulzar. (Photo: Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan/ Facebook)

The singer had also received a senior Fellowship of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. (Express photo by Vikram Sharma)