Abhay Sopori height - How tall is Abhay Sopori?

Abhay introduced the concept of 'Sufi Music Ensemble' titled 'Sufi Kinship®’ in 2011 featuring 35 musicians and Santoor led 'Indian Classical Music Ensemble' in 2014 featuring 25 musicians and performed at various concerts across India.

Abhay's name also features in various Biographical-note Volumes like "Famous India’s Who’s Who", "Asia Pacific Who’s Who", "Asian Admirable Achievers", "Biography of the year", "Famous India: Nation’s Who’s Who", "Reference Asia", "Kohinoor Personalities of Asia", "Asian American Who’s Who", etc.

Abhay continues to innovate and experiment with Santoor to further extend its dimensions. In keeping with his lineage he has introduced the Open String Concept' on Santoor, together with the Enhanced Sustain Technique giving a new dimension to the sound of Santoor further established the concept of ‘Gayan-Vadan Baaj’ (vocal-instrumental system) and ‘Been Ang on Santoor. He invented, designed and introduced a 30-stringed instrument in 2004 named as Sur-Santoor.

Abhay Rustum Sopori presenting his Classical Music Ensemble 2014 in Delhi

He is the only contemporary composer of India whose compositional work has been conducted by the legendary music maestro Zubin Mehta and has the rare honor to co-conduct along with him. He scored the music for one of the greatest acclaimed fusion composition titled Haftrang (seven colors in Kashmiri) in 2013 performed by the Bavarian State Orchestra of Germany, one of the top most orchestras of the world, together with Abhay's Kashmiri folk music ensemble Soz-o-Saaz, giving international recognition to Kashmiri music and creating history in the world of music. The concert was telecast live in more than 100 countries. The orchestra consisted of around 100 musicians.

Abhay Rustum Sopori on cover page of Indian Horizons Magazine by ICCR Vol 60 issue3 July-sept 2013

Abhay Rustum Sopori on the cover page of the Life Magazine - The Sunday Indian 2013

He presented his first Choral presentation featuring over 100 singers in October 2005 in Kashmir organized by Sopori Academy of Music And Performing Arts (SaMaPa). Abhay's J&K Folk Music Ensembles (Soz-o-Saaz) has also been presented at various other festivals and conferences, which includethe 'Jammu & KashmirFestival' presented at the Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts in New Delhi in 2009 and Ganesh Kala KridaRangmanch in Pune in 2010, which left the audiences captivated and mesmerized. Abhay's Classical fusions have also received rave reviews.

In 2005 Abhay, along with his father, founded the music academy and organization called SaMaPa (Sopori Academy of Music And Performing Arts), which is acclaimed for its work in Delhi and J&K. Post 2005, the programmes and events have been organized under the banner of SaMaPa. Some of the festivals include SaMaPa Sangeet Sammelan (Delhi) which is considered as the topmost music festival of Delhi; SaMaPa Aalap Festival (J&K) which is one the biggest music festivals witnessed by over 50,000 people. SaMaPa Aalap Festival is held at a number of venues including border areas, cultural centers, jails, etc. at places like Sopore, Baramullah, Kupwara, Bandipora, Budgam, Anantnag, Ganderbal, Srinagar, Jammu, Samba, Khour, RS Pora, Rajouri, Poonch, Katra, Udampur, Akhnoor, etc. The festival was started in 2006 and over the years has presented thousands of young talent of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory).

Abhay has always been in the forefront to raise funds and mobilize resources through his charity concerts for various medical and social causes and also catastrophes like Kashmir earthquake in 2005 (over INR 10 million) & Jammu and Kashmir (union territory) floods in 2014 (over INR 8 million).

Abhay, while exploring the dimensions of Santoor and his Baaj (Style), introduced the 'Open String Concept' in 2002 and 'Enhanced Sustain Technique' in 2005 giving a new dimension to the sound of the Santoor. He composed and conducted his first J&K Folk Music Ensemble named ‘Soz-o-Saaz’ in 2003 in a music festival organized by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) titled 'Rhythms & Melodies of Kashmir' in Delhi and later in successive concert in 2004 and 2005 featuring over 75 musicians.

In 2000, Abhay started his musical work in Kashmir performing for the youth across the Valley promoting Indian classical music and culture and is credited for changed the entire cultural scenario of Jammu & Kashmir bringing the youth together through music. His concerts in border areas of J&K have been attended by over 20,000 people.

He has taken various initiatives for promotion of music and performing arts. He has not only established himself as a preeminent musician of the present generation but simultaneously promoted hundreds of upcoming and talented musicians of the country. He, under the aegis of his father Pandit Bhajan Sopori, has been organizing path-breaking events since the year 2000 with major focus on Jammu and Kashmir (union territory).

Abhay's family had to shift to Delhi in 1990 due to the exodus in the Valley. Abhay started his musical career as a Santoor player in mid 1990s in Delhi. He also had his advanced training in composing orchestras and folk music ensembles as well as choral presentations from his father Pandit Bhajan Sopori.

Since his debut as a Classical Santoor player in mid 1990s, Abhay has performed in prestigious festivals across India and around the world in countries like the United States, Russia, Brazil, Mauritius, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Germany, France, Italy, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Slovenia, Ukraine, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Morocco, Iran, Israel, Bahrain, Dubai, etc.

Maestro Abhay Rustum Sopori (born 7 June 1979, Kashmiri: अभय सोपोरी (Devanagari), ابھے سوپوری (Nastaleeq) ) is an Indian Santoor player, music composer and conductor. He is the son of legendary Santoor virtuoso and composer Pandit Bhajan Sopori. Known for his versatility, innovations and experimentation, Abhay is the youngest classical musician to compose and conduct orchestras, choral presentations, Sufi and folk music ensembles, and has also been the youngest recipient of almost all the awards that he has received in recognition of his outstanding contribution and achievements in the field of music.

Abhay Rustum Sopori was born on 7 June 1979 in the Kashmir valley of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir (union territory). He was born to the living legend of music Pandit Bhajan Sopori and mother Dr. Aparna Sopori, professor of English literature and acclaimed academician of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory). He learned Santoor under the traditional Guru-Shishya Parampara of his mystic Shaivite - Sufi tradition from his grandfather late Pandit Shamboo Nath Sopori, hailed as the "Father of Classical Music" in Jammu and Kashmir (union territory) and his father Pandit Bhajan Sopori, hailed as the "King of Strings" and "Saint of Santoor".