Shivkumar Sharma, who has died aged 84, was one of the great innovators of Indian music, a virtuoso instrumentalist and composer who was known both for his Bollywood film music and for his classical work, and who succeeded in introducing a new instrument, the santoor, to Indian classical music.
It was no easy task, for this is an ancient folk instrument, popular in Jammu and Kashmir, where Sharma grew up, which many musicians initially regarded as being unsuitable for playing classical styles.
