NOTED tabla exponent and a highly respected name in the region’s music fraternity Pandit Gopalrao Wamanrao Wadegaonkar passed away due to cardiac arrest on Thursday night. He was 79. Pandit Gopalrao Wadegaonkar, who was one of the top tabla artists of All India Radio, had performed with a number of prominent classical singers of the country, including ‘Gaan Saraswati’ Kishori Amonkar. A musician with highly sophisticated Indian classical background, Pandit Gopalrao was born on June 19, 1942 in Nagpur. He started learning tabla from Pandit Nanasaheb Ingle at the age of four. In 1955, he learnt violin from Pandit Vighneshwar Shastri.

 

In the same year, he became the disciple of Ustad Amir Hussain Khan of Farrukhabad Gharana. Between 1963-67, Pandit Gopalrao performed solo tabla recital and accompanied several artists at Akhil Bharatiya Sangeet Sammelan of Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in Jaipur. In 1965, he won the scholarship of Government of India and was honoured by Vanasthali Vidyapeeth. He gave solo performance at Bharat Gayan Samaj, Pune and was honoured by Master Krishnarao. Pandit Gopalrao worked as a Professor (tabla) in the Music Department of Mumbai University between 1968 and 1973. In 1974, he joined as a tabla artist at All India Radio, Mumbai.

 

He performed in almost all Sangeet Sammelan in Allahabad, Kolkata, Patna and Mumbai and also in Tansen Sangeet Sammelan. He was honoured by Nagpur University in its platinum jubilee celebrations. Pandit Gopalrao trained several artists across the country. He is survived by his wife, son, daughter-in-law, sister and a large number of relatives, friends, disciples and admirers to mourn the loss. The funeral procession will start from his Chhoti Dhantoli residence for Mokshadham at 10 am on Friday.