Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 3: The renowned Santoor master, composer and conductor Abhay Rustum Sopori has been conferred with the prestigious title ‘Sangeet Mani’ by Dr Karan Singh, president, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), in a mega function at Azad Bhawan, New Delhi.
The Samman was conferred to him on the occasion of the Golden jubilee celebrations of Sargam Mandir Foundation, Delhi, marking the concluding day of the 3-day event, which featured a number of musical performances by many eminent musicians of the country.
On the occasion, various legendary and renowned musicians of the Hindustani classical music were also honoured by Sargam Mandir including Vidushi Shanno Khurana, Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan, Pt Rajan-Sajan Mishra, Ustad Hashmat Ali Khan, Pt Ronu Majumdar, Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and others.
Dr Karan Singh, who was the chief guest on the occasion, highlighted the essence of Indian culture in his address. He also felicitated Pt Jagdish Mohan for his decades of work in promoting and popularizing Indian classical music.
Abhay has carried forward the great legacy of his family in propagating and promoting Indian culture globally creating a cultural revolution in Jammu and Kashmir by bringing the youth together through music. Son of music legend Pandit Bhajan Sopori and grandson of the great master musician Pandit Shamboo Nath Sopori ji, he represents the 9th generation of the fabled Sufiana Gharana of Kashmir, the exclusive traditional Santoor family of India.
He has the honour of being the only Indian composer whose composition has been performed by the Bavarian State Orchestra and conducted by the legendary maestro Zubin Mehta, with whom he had the honour to co-conduct the historic presentation.
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