Mohamed Assani

Mohamed Assani is a celebrated sitar player and composer known for being a proactive ambassador for his rich musical tradition. Throughout his extensive career, he has brought the sitar to new audiences through innovative collaborations that have stretched the boundaries of his instrument. He has performed Hindustani classical music as well as his own original music across the globe — with orchestras, string quartets, hip hop artists, DJs, world music ensembles, jazz artists, Indian & Pakistani classical artists — and as a soloist. Mohamed has been invited to present his music to royalty and heads of state, including the Governor General of Canada, Royal Family of Dubai and HRH Prince Karim Aga Khan. 

According to the Georgia Straight Newspaper, “Assani is both a musician who’s deeply rooted in the artistic traditions of South Asia and a one-of-a-kind innovator who’s bent on ensuring that those age old forms will survive, and grow, in the modern era.  Vancouver’s world music scene – already one of the best anywhere – might be about to get a whole lot more interesting.”

Mohamed’s musical journey began at Dartington College of Arts in England, where he did a degree in Western Classical and World music. He then went on to learn sitar in the traditional way and is a senior disciple of Ustad Ashraf Sharif Khan of the Poonch Gharana. 



Mohamed is a leader in his field – forging new paths for his music to develop and grow, while remaining committed to the rich depths and roots from which his tradition has emerged. He is based in Vancouver, Canada.

In addition to his composition and performance work, Mohamed is a passionate and sought-out educator with a Post-Graduate Certificate in Music Education. He has designed and taught world music courses at the University of Huddersfield in England, including teaching teachers how to effectively take world music into the classroom. During his extensive career, Mohamed has taught at the Royal Academy of Music and the BRIT School of Performing Arts in London, England. He currently teaches Indian Music at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music .

Mohamed is equally passionate about teaching sitar on a one to one basis. His approach his thorough and mannerism warm and encouraging. Here are some testimonials:

"Mohamed has managed to cater for people with no experience as well as those who have been playing for a long time, from all sorts of backgrounds. He has developed a program of high quality classes and performances. I was amazed at the first concert we held at how far students had developed in a relatively short period of time, Mohamed had really done an excellent job of teaching a very complex musical style to those with no prior experience of it. His knowledge of the music, of playing styles on various instruments, of how to approach performances and rehearsals is very strong and if you get the chance to work with him I recommend you grab it with both hands!" - Dr. Rupert Till MA HEAM, Senior Lecturer in Music, University of Huddersfield