Santoor Maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma Is No More, Suffered Heart Attack

He recorded his first solo in 1960 and went on to create great music with flutist Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia and guitarist Brij Bhushan Kabra. 

Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma

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New Delhi: Santoor maestro and Indian classical music composer Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma passed away in Mumbai due to cardiac arrest on Tuesday at the age of 84 years. He was suffering from kidney-related ailments and was on dialysis for the last six months. 

As per ABP News sources, he suffered a heart attack at 9 am on Tuesday. Though he was on dialysis, he was still active and was supposed to perform in Bhopal the next week. 

Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma was born on January 13, 1938, in Jammu. He is credited with giving Santoor an identity in the Hindustani Classical Music. After taking it to different heights, he also composed music for Bollywood, beginning with a background score for Shantaram’s ‘Jhanak Jhanak Baje Payal’. 

He was conferred with the prestigious Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 1986, and with the Padma Shri in 1991. He was also awarded the Padma Vibhuhan in 2001.

He recorded his first solo in 1960 and went on to create great music with flutist Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia and guitarist Brij Bhushan Kabra. 

He also gave music for many Yash Chopra films as well, including Lamhe, Chandani, and Silsila. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences on his demise.

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

He wrote on Twitter, "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 enthrall the coming generations. I fondly remember my interactions with him. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti."