Pandit Shivkumar Sharma

Pandit Shivkumar Sharma (13 January 1938 – 10 May 2022) was an iconic Indian classical musician who is credited with introducing the santoor—an ancient Kashmiri instrument—into the Hindustani classical music fold. His advances elevated the santoor from being a regional folk instrument to becoming a major instrument in Indian classical music performances.

Musical Journey
Sharma was born in Jammu, and received training from his father, Uma Dutt Sharma, who was both a vocalist as well as a tabla player. He began his training on the santoor at the age of 13, and gave a public performance in Mumbai in 1955. Sharma recorded—in 1967—the album, Call of the Valley, with flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia, and guitarist, Brij Bhushan Kabra. This album has gone on to become one of the biggest hits in Indian classical music. As a member of the musical duo, Shiv-Hari, together with Chaurasia, Sharma provided music for a number of successful Hindi films, including – Silsila (1981), Chandni (1989), and Lamhe (1991).

Honours and Awards:

• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1986)
• Padma Shri (1991)
• Padma Vibhushan (2001)
• Honorary Citizenship of Baltimore, USA (1985)
• He received many platinum and gold discs for his film music.
  
  

Legacy:

Sharma’s son, Rahul Sharma, has now taken his father’s legacy as a santoor player. The father and son performed together first in 1996, and travelled and performed around the world together in Jugalbandi (encounters) performances.