Renowned Classical Singer Prabha Atre, 92, Passes Away from Heart Attack in Pune

Renowned classical vocalist Prabha Atre has passed away at the age of 92. According to media reports, she suffered a heart attack on Saturday morning in Pune. Despite being rushed to the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital by family members, she succumbed to her condition on the way. Just a few days before, she had been preparing to perform in Mumbai, but her demise occurred unexpectedly.

Life and Education of Prabha Atre

Prabha Atre was born on September 13, 1932, in Pune. She received her initial education in classical music from the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya and later earned a doctorate in music. Following this, she pursued degrees in science and law from Pune University. Under the guidance of music stalwarts like Vijay Karandikar, Hirabai Badodekar, and Sureshbabu Mane, she received training in classical music. Initially working as a stage artist in Marathi theater classics like “Sanshay Kallol,” “Manapman,” “Saubhadra,” and “Vidyaharan,” she later performed in Mumbai.

Awards and Recognition

Prabha Atre received numerous prestigious awards and honors throughout her career. She was honored with the Padma Shri in 1990, Padma Bhushan in 2002, and Padma Vibhushan in January 2022. The list of her awards also includes the Bharat Ratna, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Classical Music Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Kalidas Sanman Award by the Madhya Pradesh government, among others.

After these recognitions, she also received the Kalidas Samman Award from the Madhya Pradesh government, the Tanariri Sangeet Sanman Award from the Gujarat government, and the Mallikarjun Mansur Puraskar from the Karnataka government. She was also a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for her contributions to music. Additionally, she received the Indo-American Fellowship to study ethnomusicology at the University of California.