New Delhi: Santoor player, Pt. Bhajan Sopori passed away on Thursday in Gurugram after a prolonged illness. The 73-year-old was diagnosed with Colon Cancer last June.
Recipient of the Padma Shri, Sangeet Natak Akademi, and Jammu and Kashmir State Lifetime Achievement Award, Sopori belonged to the Sufiana Gharana of Kashmir where six generations of his family played the instrument. He was five when he started performing on stage.
Trained in both Western and Hindustani music, Sopori took the family legacy forward and delved into extensive research and innovation with the musical instrument.
He had also taught music at Washington University.
He was considered the cultural link between Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of India. He also opened a music academy called SaMaPa (Sopori Academy for Music and Performing Arts), which promotes Indian classical music.
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