It's something of a cruel irony that the intensive level of study it takes to master the sitar is all but lost on Western ears, most of which are accustomed to the instrument as the gentle, ever-present background drone of the Indian restaurant experience. Not that anyone should be faulted for being lulled by the sitar's mesmerizing quality. Hopefully, sitarist Irshad Khan can take listeners deeper into the experience. A child prodigy of international renown, Khan comes from a long line of high-level sitarists, including his father, Imrat, the man responsible for the instrument's entry into rock music via George Harrison and Brian Jones. Khan's grandfather, Imdad, performed for Queen Victoria and, well, you get the picture. Khan is also considered one of the world's foremost players of the surbahar, or bass-sitar, whose deep, exotic tones alone should be worth the price of admission.

Irshad Khan plays Friday, February 12 at 7:30 p.m. at Seymour Union Ballroom, SUNY Brockport. $8-$12. 395-ARTS, Brockport.edu/finearts.