Antahswar: Inner Music

Padmashri and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, Padmabhushan and Kalidas Samman awardee, Dr. Prabha Atre is an eminent personality in the field of music. She is revered as a brilliant thinker, performer, academician, composer, and teacher. A former Assistant Producer with the All Indian Radio, former Professor and Head of the Department of Music, SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai and former Producer-Director of the recording company ‘Swarashree’ devoted only to classical music, Dr. Prabha Atre has a rare blend of skill and insight. Dr. Atre has displayed constant innovation and creative endeavour which has distinguished her from other vocalists both in the classical and light-classical idioms. A senior vocalist representing the Kirana gharaanaa, Dr. Atrre was trained by the late Shri Sureshbabu Mane and Padmabhushan Hirabai Badodekar and drew inspiration from the styles of late Amir Khan and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Dr. Atre has been teaching in the traditional guru-shishya style for more than thirty-five years and is an accclaimed guru in India and abroad both in performance and research. 'Dr. Prabha Atrre Foundation' set up by her aims to promote the cause of Indian culture and performing arts. She has also established 'Swaramayee gurukul' to bridge the prevailing gap between the academic institutions and the traditional guru-shishya paramparaa by nurturing talented students into complete professionals. Dr. Atrre has authored several academic books on the various aspects of music that are especially relevant to the present day performance. Her Doctoral thesis on 'Sargam' or the use of sol-fa names as musical material, which is perhaps a pioneering work on the subject, bears testimony to her various accomplishments. Her books 'Swaramayee,' 'Swaraalee,' 'Swaraanginee,' 'Antahswar,' 'Snilghtening the Listener' have all been well received by both lay and knowledgeable listeners.