Some carry instruments, Uttam Ghosh carries the mountain wind through his sitar.
Uttam Ghosh, known to many as Himalayan Sitar, carries the restless spirit of Nepal’s mountains into every note he plays. A sitarist, ethnomusicologist, and educator, his work dissolves borders—between tradition and experiment, local and global, sound and silence. His formal roots stretch from Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory to advanced research at Kathmandu University, where his thesis explored reviving Nepalese classical music through unlikely collaborations. From festivals like Echoes in the Valley to projects with hip-hop and electronic artists, Uttam refuses to let classical music gather dust. His association with the Gopal Yonjan Foundation echoes his belief that culture must breathe, not be caged. As an educator, his courses like Decoding Shastriya Sangeet and Nepali Music and Culture for Kids spark curiosity among new generations. Whether on stage or in a classroom, Uttam isn’t just preserving Nepalese classical music—he’s unsettling it, nurturing it, and letting it wander.
