Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar passed away

December 18, 2012

Sitar maestro and Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar (92) passed away.

About Pandit Ravi Shankar

Born in Varanasi, 7 April 1920 spent his youth touring Europe and India with the dance group of his brother Uday Shankar.
Gave up dancing to learn sitar playing under court musician Allauddin Khan.
Worked as a composer, creating the music for the Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray, and was music director of All India Radio, New Delhi
Made Indian music popular in the West as he toured the Europe and the Americas in the 1960s through teaching, performance, and his association with violinist Yehudi Menuhin and rock artist George Harrison of The Beatles.
Served as a nominated member of the upper chamber of the Parliament of India from 1986 to 1992.

Awards and Accolades:

Awarded India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna in 1999
Padma Bhushan
Padma Vibhushan
Lifetime Achievement Grammy posthumously
Silver Bear Extraordinary Prize of the Jury at the 1957 Berlin International Film Festival for composing the music for the movie Kabuliwala.
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Music award of the UNESCO International Music Council
3 Grammy Awards
Kalidas Samman from the Government of Madhya Pradesh
Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize
Ramon Magsaysay Award
Polar Music Prize
Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Elizabeth II
France’s highest civilian honour, the Knight of the Legion of Honour.