Vidushi Sumati Mutatkar (10 September 1916 – 28 February 2007) was an Indian

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

vocalist and musicologist from the Agra gharana of

Hindustani classical music Hindustani classical music is the Indian classical music, classical music of the Indian subcontinent's northern regions. It may also be called North Indian classical music or ''Uttar Bhartiya shastriya sangeet''. The term ''shastriya sangeet'' ...

, and a Professor of Department of Music in

University of Delhi The Delhi University (DU, ISO 15919, ISO: ), also and officially known as the University of Delhi, is a collegiate university, collegiate research university, research Central university (India), central university located in Delhi, India. It ...

. She was awarded the highest award of the

Sangeet Natak Akademi Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in English language, English) is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India. It is an autonomous body of the Ministry of Culture (India) ...

, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama, for lifetime achievement, the 1979 Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship and the

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

in 1999, by

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

. She was also awarded the Kalidas Samman by the

Government of Madhya Pradesh The Government of Madhya Pradesh (abbreviated as MP) or Madhya Pradesh Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and its 55 districts. It consists of an executive, led by the governor of Madhya Prade ...

in 2001-2002.

Early life and training

She was born in Balaghat in the then province of C.P. and Berar, the oldest child of Gajanan Amberdekar, a judge, and Sundari Subedar. She received training in Hindustani classical music from various teachers, including Pandit Rajabhaiya Poochwale of Gwalior gharana, Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan of Agra gharana, and Pandit Anant Manohar Joshi and Ustad Mushtaq Hussain Khan (d. 1964) of the Rampur gharana. She was, however, primarily a student of Pandit S. N. Ratanjankar. Ghosh, p. 29 at the Bhatkhande Music Institute—earlier known as the Marris College—in Lucknow.

Career

In 1953, she joined as the Director of Music at the

All India Radio All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...

(AIR) and subsequently became Deputy Chief Producer of Music. Later, in 1968 she joined the Faculty of Music and Fine Arts, at the

Delhi University The Delhi University (DU, ISO 15919, ISO: ), also and officially known as the University of Delhi, is a collegiate university, collegiate research university, research Central university (India), central university located in Delhi, India. It ...

, eventually retiring in September 1981 as the Dean of the Faculty. During her tenure, she supervised numerous research programs in the field of music, as well published several books on the subject.OBITUARY: In Memoriam Professor Dr. Sumati Mutatkar
She died on 28 February 2007, at a private hospital in Kolkata, after a brief bronchial illness at the age of 91; she was survived by her daughter.

ITC Sangeet Research Academy ITC Sangeet Research Academy is a Hindustani classical music academy run by the corporate house, ITC Ltd. It is located in Kolkata, India. Noted musicians associated with the academy include Ulhas Kashalkar, Falguni Mitra, Ajoy Chakrabarty, ...

Bibliography

* '' Shrikrishna Narayan Ratanjankar 'Sujan': a many splendoured genius''. Lotus Collection, 2001. . * ''Geet Nijhari : Sumit Mutakar Rachit Bandisho Ka Sangrah'' ( Hindi) . Kanishka Publishiners, 2002. * ''Aspects of Indian music''. Sangeet Natak Akademi, 2006. . * ''Sumati-Sangitabharanam: Gems of Indian Music and Musicology (Prof. Sumati Mutatkar Felicitation Volume)'', by Abha Kulshreshtha, Sumati Mutatkar, Jagdish Sahai. 1994. .

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mutatkar, Sumati Hindustani singers 1916 births 2007 deaths Indian women musicologists Indian musicologists Academic staff of Delhi University Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship Agra gharana 20th-century Indian singers 20th-century Indian educational theorists Singers from Madhya Pradesh All India Radio people Scholars from Madhya Pradesh Women musicians from Madhya Pradesh All India Radio women 20th-century Indian women singers Women educators from Madhya Pradesh Educators from Madhya Pradesh 20th-century musicologists 20th-century women educators 20th-century Khyal singers Women musicians from West Bengal