Shivkumar Sharma

Shivkumar Sharma

• Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, born January 13, 1938 is an Indian Santoor player.
• He created a new genre of instrumental music using Santoor, which was used in Soofi music in the valley of Kashmir.
• Santoor was not considered as a complete instrument on which one could play classical music. After in-depth research, he made some important modifications on this hundred stringed instrument, like a new chromatic arrangement of notes and increased the range to cover full three octaves. He also created a new technique of playing with which he could sustain notes and maintain sound continuity.
• He made Santoor at par with any other classical instrument, well established not just all over India, but across the globe.
• He is the recipient of national and international awards, including an honorary citizenship of the city of Baltimore, USA, in 1985, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1986, the Padma Shri in 1991, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2001.
• www.santoor.com