Top Birla Award for Santoor Maestro Shivkumar Sharma

Mumbai, Nov 5 (IANS) Santoor maestro Pandit Shivkumar Sharma has been named for this year's 'Aditya Vikram Birla Kalashikhar Puraskar' for lifetime achievement in Hindustani music, an official said here on Thursday.

The Aditya Vikram Birla Kalakiran Awards shall be conferred on Sarangi player Murad Ali Khan, Tabla exponent Satyajit Talwalkar and a special jury award for Shehnai will go to the two brothers -- Sanjeev Shankar and Ashwani Shankar.

Maharashtra Governor C.V. Rao shall give away the awards at a ceremony here on Saturday in the presence of top dignitaries, including industrialists Rajashree Birla, Kumarmangalam Birla and Neerja Birla.

The awards nite is being organised by Sangit Kala Kendra and will be followed by Ashok Hande's musical performance, 'Awaaz Ki Duniya.'

The Jammu-born 77-year-old Pandit Sharma has been a music director along with flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia. He was conferred the country's second highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan in 2001.