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Pandit Bhajan Sopori Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 1, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth22 June 1948

Age73 (at time of death)

BirthplaceSopore, Jammu and Kashmir, India

ProfessionSantoor player, composer, teacher

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseProfessor Aparna Sopori

FamilyTwo sons: Sorabh Sopori and Abhay Sopori; father Pandit Shamboo Nath Sopori; grandfather Pandit Samsar Chand Sopori

Pandit Bhajan Sopori Biography

Pandit Bhajan Sopori was an Indian santoor maestro from Sopore, Jammu and Kashmir. An eighth-generation musician from a family of santoor players, he built

Early life and background

Bhajan Lal Sopori was born on 22 June 1948 in Sopore, in the Kashmir region of Jammu and Kashmir, India. He grew up in a household steeped in the santoor tradition: his grandfather Pandit Samsar Chand Sopori and his father Pandit Shamboo Nath Sopori were both santoor players, and he became the eighth generation in his family to take up the instrument. He gave his first public performance at the age of five and by ten was appearing at a conference at the Prayag Sangeet Samiti, University of Allahabad, where his playing helped raise the profile of the santoor as a solo instrument.

He pursued formal musical education alongside broader studies. His qualifications include advanced degrees in Indian classical music with specialisations in sitar and santoor, a master’s in English literature, and a degree in Western classical music from Washington University in the United States.

Career

Pandit Bhajan Sopori established himself as a versatile musician, composer and teacher. He worked with All India Radio in different capacities, including a posting in New Delhi around 1990. After several years away from Jammu and Kashmir, he returned to the valley and focused much of his later work on promoting the region’s folk traditions and encouraging young musicians.

He was known not only as a santoor virtuoso but also as a composer and arranger. Sopori composed more than 6,000 songs across languages including Hindi, Kashmiri, Dogri, Sindhi, Urdu and Bhojpuri. His output ranged from patriotic compositions and choral arrangements to ghazal settings and music for saint-poets such as Kabir Das and Meera Bai. He created new ragas and composed works named Laleshwari, Patwanti and Nirmalkauns, and he is noted as the youngest composer to have written for the National Orchestra of India (Vadya Vrinda) as of 2022.

Sopori’s compositions were used in public events and civic projects as well: he produced patriotic Tarana-e-Watan material and choral works that involved thousands of students in the Kashmir valley. He also composed music for Republic Day Parade tableaus and won the first prize for the Sangeet Natak Akademi tableau in 2010.

Beyond performance and composition, Sopori founded the Sopori Academy for Music and Performing Arts (SaMaPa) in New Delhi in 2011 to promote Indian classical music and music education. SaMaPa undertook outreach including classes in prisons in Jammu and Kashmir, and in 2012 he instituted the SaMaPa Vitasta Award, a competition with a cash prize for emerging talent.

Public profile

Pandit Bhajan Sopori received extensive recognition at national and international levels for his contributions to music. Honors listed in his career include the Padma Shri (2004), the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1993), and numerous lifetime achievement awards, regional honours and titles spanning decades. He was awarded honorary doctorates and received prizes from state governments, cultural organisations and music societies. His name appears in multiple biographical compendiums and he was commemorated on an Indian postage stamp.

His musical skills extended beyond the santoor; he was also proficient on instruments such as the guitar, mouth organ and sarod. In addition to performing and composing, Sopori worked as a teacher, writer and poet. His music has been used in music therapy contexts, and he maintained an active role in nurturing musical life in Jammu and Kashmir and beyond.

Personal life

Sopori was married to Professor Aparna Sopori. He and his wife had two sons, Sorabh Sopori and Abhay Sopori; Abhay is also a santoor player. His father was Pandit Shamboo Nath Sopori, and his grandfather was Pandit Samsar Chand Sopori, both practitioners of the family’s santoor tradition.

Illness and passing

Pandit Bhajan Sopori’s health declined after a diagnosis of colon cancer. He was admitted for immunotherapy treatment at Fortis Hospital in Gurugram, Haryana, and died there on 2 June 2022 at the age of 73. His last rites were performed at the Lodhi Road crematorium in Delhi. Following his passing, public figures and the musical community noted his long-standing influence on Indian classical music and in particular on the standing of the santoor as a concert instrument.

Latest updates

Even after his death, Sopori’s institutions and compositions continue to be part of the musical landscape. SaMaPa remains a named legacy of his commitment to teaching and promotion of classical and folk music traditions, and his recorded and composed works continue to be performed by students and colleagues.
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Recent Work

Founded SaMaPa (Sopori Academy for Music and Performing Arts)

Established the academy in New Delhi in 2011 to promote Indian classical music and run outreach programmes including prison classes; launched the SaMaPa Vitasta Award in 2012.

2011-2012
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Career Highlights

  1. Eighth generation santoor player from Sopore, Jammu and Kashmir
  2. Composed over 6,000 songs across multiple Indian languages
  3. Recipient of Padma Shri (2004) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1993)
  4. Founder of SaMaPa to promote music education and outreach
  5. Composer for the National Orchestra of India (Vadya Vrinda); winner of Sangeet Natak Akademi tableau prize (2010)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Pandit Bhajan Sopori born?

22 June 1948

What is Pandit Bhajan Sopori known for?

Santoor player, composer, teacher

What is Pandit Bhajan Sopori’s marital status?

Married

Who is Pandit Bhajan Sopori married to?

Professor Aparna Sopori