Celebrating the Life of Kadri Gopalnath

We are writing somberly to inform everyone of the passing of Kadri Gopalnoth at Age 69 (December 11, 1949—October 11, 2019). Born into a musical family, Gopalnath initially followed his father’s footsteps and played the nadhaswaram, an Indian instrument similar to the clarinet. He also studied vocal music for five years in Mangalore. “(Gopalnath’s) soft, legato, flurries meshed perfectly in an unusual grouping of violin, Jew’s harp and mridangam drum”. The Illustrated Weekly Of India took a similar view, claiming “(Gopalnath’s) music would make a stone melt”. Gopalnath’s first major break came when he was invited to compose and perform on the soundtrack of a highly successful film, Duet. In 1994, Gopalnath became the first South Indian classical musician to perform in the BBC Promenade concert. We met Kadri during the recording of Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Kinsmen and were blown away by his musicality and his kindness. He is survived by his wife and two sons, whom we send our best wishes to during their bereavement.