By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 15 May: Spic Macay and Doon Library and Research Centre organised a programme of Hindustani classical Santoor playing by Abhay Rustam Sopori in the library auditorium, here, today. The audience present in the auditorium thoroughly enjoyed the Santoor playing done in the distinctive style of Abhay Rustam Sopori. He was accompanied by Chanchal Singh on the Tabla and Rishi Shankar Upadhyay on Pakhawaj.
Abhay Rustam Sopori is a distinguished santoor player and composer. Apart from singing Hindustani classical music, he composes and conducts Sufi and folk music groups and orchestras. He carries forward the rich musical heritage of the Sopori Sufiana Gharana of Kashmir – a traditional Santoor family from India, with a musical history spanning 10 generations spanning over 300 years. Born in Kashmir, Abhay Rustam Sopori learned music under the traditional Guru-Shishya tradition from his grandfather Pandit Shambhu Nath Sopori and father Pandit Bhajan Sopori, who were great Santoor experts and musicians. Abhay Sopori is a graduate in Management and Computers with a master’s degree in Music. He started his musical career as a santoor player in the mid-1990s and has since participated in prestigious festivals around the world.
As the youngest visiting faculty at the University of Massachusetts (USA) and visiting professor at the Central Conservatory of Music (China), he has played a major role in bringing together the youth through music and creating a new generation of music connoisseurs. He also keeps encouraging emerging and talented musicians.
He has been fortunate to receive many awards at a very young age. He has received Mahatma Gandhi Seva Medal of the United Nations – Gandhi Global Peace Prize, 2020, Top Grade Artist Medal 2019 by All India Radio, Atal Shikhar Samman, 2017, Dr S Radhakrishnan National Award, 2017, Jammu and Kashmir State Icon title by the Election Commission of India, 2016, Pride of India Award, 2015, Sangeet Mani Award, 2014, Indian Fine Arts Society Award, 2013 (Kingdom of Bahrain), Jammu and Kashmir’s Highest Citizen Award, 2011, Best Citizen of India Award, 2010, Bharat Shiromani Award, 2009 and Sangeet Natak Akademi’s first Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Award, 2006, etc.
Chanchal Singh is an emerging tabla player. He has received training in both classical and light music. Apart from mastery over the tabla, he also has a strong command over various ethnic percussion instruments from around the world. He received his initial training from Vishal Singh in Jammu and is now learning from Sachin Sharma. Additionally, he has had the privilege of receiving training from renowned tabla players such as Ustad Akram Khan and Pandit Sadanand Nayampalli.
Rishi Shankar Upadhyay is one of the most outstanding Pakhawaj players of the young generation. He is representing the 13th generation of Pt Vasudev Upadhyay of the 400 year old Pakhawaj tradition of Gaya (Bihar). He received his early education at an early age from his grandfather Late Pt Ramji Upadhyay and later from his father Pt. Ravi Shankar Upadhyay. He is an A Grade Artiste of All India Radio, honoured with prestigious awards like Samapa Yuva Ratna Samman 2017 of Sopori Sangeet Akademi and Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar 2023 of Sangeet Natak Akademi and many more.
At the beginning of the programme, Chandrashekhar Tiwari of the Doon Library welcomed the guests on the stage and in the auditorium. Nicholas Hoffland proposed the vote of thanks at the end.
N Ravi Shanker, Director, DLRC, Ramchandra Khyal, Vijay Bhatt, Anjali Bharthari, Biju Negi, Sunder Singh Bisht, Manjari Mehta, Avi Nanda, Vijay Bahadur, children of Aasra Trust, workers and many musicians, music lovers, litterateurs, intellectuals, journalists, and librarians of Dehradun participated in the programme.
