This great and gentle soul lived a full and rich musical life. Born into a family of musicians in Dehra Dun, his training on sarod began at the early age of four. His father Anant Kumar Roy was a disciple of two great maestros Ustad Alauddin Khan and Ustad Keramatullah Khansahib.
His uncle, Professor Sachindranath Roy (Head of music at Meerut University) learnt sarod from Ustad Alauddin Khansahib and sitar from Ustad Inayat Khan.
In 1960, Ashok Roy’s deep commitment to his art, along with his prodigious talent, led him to share first prize in the instrumental division of the All India Radio music competition along with Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma. In the 1960’s and 70’s he became a very popular A grade staff artist at All India Radio, New Delhi, during which time he was also a senior disciple of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. His recitals were regularly broadcast from various AIR stations in North India and in the 1960s and 1970s he also invited to record many National Programs of Music.
Apart from at all major music festivals in India and toured extensively in Europe, Australia and the Pacific Ocean. Over his career he won many awards and music competitions, including Sur Mani awarded by Sur Singar Samsad in Mumbai.
After a three year posting by the Government of India, India Council for Cultural Relations (1975-1978), to its cultural centre in Suva, Fiji, Ashokji returned to Dehra Dun in Uttaranchal Pradesh, from where he travelled performed, taught and performed extensively across northern India.
In 1987, Panditji moved to Melbourne Australia and taught music at Melbourne University before becoming the artistic director of The Australian Institute of Eastern Music in Sydney.
He trained intensively in the ethos of the Maihar gharana but at the same time he was also deeply inspired to develop his own unique musical voice, a quality that earned him many awards throughout his long career. He performed extensively in the UK, Europe, Asia Pacific and Australia and his recordings have been published by HMV, Musicaphon and Festival Records.
A short film on Pandit Ashok Roy’s musical life in Australia.