Eminent saxophone exponent Kadri Gopalnath no more

Renowned saxophone exponent Kadri Gopalnath died at a private hospital here early on Friday, family sources said.

He was 69 and had been ailing for some time.

Gopalnath is survived by wife, two sons and a daughter.

A Padma Shree awardee and one of the pioneers of music in the saxophone in the country, he had the distinction of being the first Carnatic musician to be invited in the BBC Promenade concert in the Royal Albert Hall at London in 1994.

Gopalnath's son, Manikanth Kadri is a noted music director.

Family sources said he was admitted to hospital here on Thursday after a complaint of back pain and breathed his last early Friday following a cardiac arrest.

Apart from the sobriquet 'Saxophone Chakravarty' (Emperorof Saxophone), Gopalnath was bestowed with many awards such as Kendriya Sangeet Natak Akademi, Kalaimamani of the Tamil Nadu government, Karnataka Kalasri, Gana Kala Bhushana and Naada Gandharva just to name a few.

He had played the saxaphone for Tamil film 'Duet' helmed by the late director K Balachander with musical score by A R Rahman, popularising the otherwise lesser known instrument among audience in Tamil Nadu.

Condoling his death, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa tweeted: "Kadri Gopalnath's death is an irreparable loss to the music world. I'm deeply saddened with his demise."