Srinagar, Sept 09: In a momentous development, distinguished santoor maestro and music composer Pandit Abhay Rustum Sopori has been awarded the ‘Top Grade Music Composer’ award by All India Radio. Dr. Santosh Nahar, renowned violinist & deputy director programmes, All India Radio and Sangeeta Jain (TREX Policy), AIR, presented the certificate to Pandit Abhay Rustum Sopori at Akashvani Bhavan, New Delhi.
Pertinent to mention here, Pandit Abhay Sopori was earlier awarded the ‘Top Grade Artist’ award as a Santoor player by All India Radio in 2019. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to All India Radio for bestowing upon him the second ‘Top Grade’ award, becoming the youngest artist in the country to be awarded a double ‘Top Grade’ honour.
Abhay Sopori said that it is a rare honour to be awarded a double Top Grade, both as a Santoor player and now music composer, and dedicated the honour to his father and guru, the great saint – music legend late Pandit Bhajan Sopori, who is hailed as the saint of Santoor and king of strings.
Pandit Abhay Sopori represents the 300-year-old exclusive traditional Santoor family of the country with age-old Shaivite – Sufi roots.
Regarded as a cultural icon of Jammu and Kashmir, Sopori has been instrumental in introducing ‘Cultural Policy’ in J&K and also introducing music as a subject in various districts of Jammu and Kashmir creating new academic streams in colleges and universities as well as new job opportunities for the youth in J&K.
His efforts have also paved the way for the introduction of the PG Programme in Hindustani Music in Kashmir earlier this year in June 2024. He has also composed five new ragas namely Raga Nirmalkauns, Mahakali, Sharda, Bhajaneshwari & Bhagwati. He has been honoured with a number of awards in recognition of his outstanding contribution and achievements in the field of music including the prestigious Mahatma Gandhi Seva Medal, J&K Govt. Award, Atal Shikhar Samman, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan National Award, Bharat Shiromani Award, Dogri Award, etc.
