Renowned Indian Classical Vocalist Prabha Atre Passes Away at 91

Eminent vocalist Prabha Atre – a recipient of three Padma awards – passed away in Pune on Saturday. She was 91.

After complaining of uneasiness, she was rushed to the Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital, where she was declared dead.

Over decades, Prabha Atre has captivated audiences with a refined style, covering ragas, khayal, thumri, ghazal, bhajan, and tarana.

Highly-educated, she had traveled across the globe and lectured on music.

Prabha Atre earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Fergusson College in Pune. Later she completed an LL.B. from Law College in Pune. She studied at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London (Western Music Theory Grade-IV). She later also earned a PhD in music, and her doctoral thesis was titled ‘Sargam’.

She received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1991), Padma Shri (1990), Padma Bhushan (2002), and Padma Vibushan (2022).