Born on 13th January, 1938, Pandit Shivkumar is a
very famous and respected classical musician of India. He plays the
Santoor, which is a classical instrument. This instrument originated in
the Kashmir and was modified extensively before being used as a
classical instrument. The Santoor is a kind of wooden dulcimer whose
strings are supposed to be tapped with a pair of delicate wooden
mallets. It was used in earlier times to accompany a particular type of
music called Sufiana Mausiqi. Read this biography to know the life
history of Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma.
Pandit Shivkumar Sharma received his training from Pandit Uma Dutt
Sharma, his father. Shivkumar Sharma also learnt the Tabla along with
Santoor during his earlier days. Later, he concentrated only on the
Santoor and single handedly brought it into the limelight. He modified
the Santoor and increased its range to cover the three octaves to make
it more appropriate for playing classical music. He also formed a new
technique to play it in which the notes could be sustained for sound
continuity.
Pandit Shivkumar Sharma has given many performances with renowned
musicians like Ustad Zakhir Hussain, Sri Hariprasad Chaurasia, etc. He
has also composed music for Hindi films like Silsila, Darr, etc. His
album "Call of the Valley" got him a platinum disc. His son
Rahul is also a famous Santoor player now. Pandit Shivkumar Sharma has
also composed a raga called Antardhwani, for which has received
accolades from many.
Awards:
Honorary citizenship of the city of Baltimore, USA (1985)
Honorary Doctorate from the University of Jammu (1991)
Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar (1990)
Padma Vibhushan (2001)
Padmashree (1991)
Sangeet Natak Academy Award (1986)
Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan Award (1998)
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Music of India |
