Santoor Maestro Pandit Shivkumar Sharma Passes Away

Pt. Shivkumar Sharma, veteran santoor maestro, winner of Padma Vibhushan, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Music - Instrumental (Santoor), and more passed away in Mumbai due to cardiac arrest. 

"Our cultural world is poorer with the demise of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma Ji. He popularised the Santoor at a global level. His music will continue to enthral the coming generations. I fondly remember my interactions with him. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti," PM Modi said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "His departure impoverishes our cultural world."

"Sad to know about the demise of Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, eminent Santoor player and internationally celebrated Indian music composer," Ms Banerjee tweeted.

A Padma Vibhushan recipient, Shivkumar Sharma was born in Jammu in 1938 and is believed to be the first musician to have played Indian classical music on the santoor, a folk instrument from Jammu and Kashmir. 

“He had a severe heart attack at around 9 a.m. He was active and was to perform in Bhopal next week. He was on regular dialysis but was still was active,” the family source told PTI. 

“The passing away of Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharmaji marks the end of an era. He was the pioneer of santoor and his contribution is unparalleled. For me, it’s a personal loss and I will miss him no end. May his soul rest in peace. His music lives on forever! Om Shanti,” sarod player Amjad Ali Khan tweeted.