BENGALURU: Renowned Santoor maestro Pandit Shivkumar Sharma passed away on Tuesday in Mumbai at the age of 84.
He had been suffering from kidney-related issues for the last six months and was on dialysis. He ultimately succumbed to cardiac arrest.
He had composed music with flute legend Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia for several films such as Silsila, Lamhe and Chandni among others.
“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,” tweeted PM Modi.
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.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 10, 2022
Born in Jammu, Sharma began learning santoor at the age of thirteen and sahot to fame by his first public performance in Mumbai in 1955. He was instrumental in popularising the Santoor in India.
He was conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri in 1991 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2001.