Santoor maestro Bhajan Sopori died on Thursday at a Gurugram hospital following prolonged illness, members of his family said. He was 73.
Sopori is survived by his wife and two sons Sorabh and Abhay, who also plays santoor.
Born in 1948, Pandit Bhajan Sopori hailed from the Sopore valley of Kashmir. He belonged to the Sufiana gharana of Indian classical music.
Bhajan Sopori delivered his first performance at the age of five in 1953. In a career spanning over several decades, he performed in Egypt, England, Germany as well as the US.
He learned western classical music from Washington University and Hindustani from his grandfather, SC Sopori, and father, Shambhoo Nath. In fact, Bhajan Sopori also taught music at Washington University.
He received multiple awards through his career, including the Padma Shri in 2004, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1992 and the Jammu and Kashmir State Lifetime Achievement Award, Sopori learnt western classical music from Washington University and Hindustani music from his father and grandfather.
Legendary musician and santoor player Pandit Shivkumar Sharma passed away due to a cardiac arrest. He was suffering from kidney-related ailments for the past six months, and was undergoing dialysis as well as per the reports by India Today
(with inputs from PTI)
