Renowned classical singer and Padma Vibhushan recipient Dr Prabha Atre passed away following a cardiac arrest at her residence here at the age of 92 early on Saturday, sources close to her said.
Atre, a torch-bearer of the Kirana Gharana of Hindustani classical music, had been honoured with all three Padma awards by the Indian government. "Atre suffered a cardiac arrest during her sleep at her residence. She was rushed to Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital, where she was declared dead at 5.30 am," a source said.
Since some of the close family members of Atre live abroad, her funeral will be performed once they arrive, the source added. She was supposed to leave for Mumbai on Saturday to perform at "Swarprabha" programme. Born on September 13, 1932, Atre was known for her multi-faceted personality.
Besides being a classical vocalist, she also excelled as an academician, researcher, composer and author. A science and law graduate, she had a doctorate in music. She was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the nation's second-highest civilian honour, in January 2022.
She was earlier honoured with the Padma Shri award in 1990 and the Padma Bhushan in 2002. Atre was adept at different musical genres, including khyaal, tarana, thumri, dadra, ghazal and bhajan. With her demise, Indian classical music has lost two legends within a week as Ustad Rashid Khan passed away on Tuesday in Kolkata following his battle with cancer.
