For someone like Abhay Sopori, whose grandfather, Pandit Shamboo Nath Sopori, was hailed as the Father of Music in Jammu and Kashmir and whose father Pandit Bhajan Sopori is a santoor virtuoso, it's safe to say that music runs in his blood. Having been trained by them under the guru-shishya parampara, the talented musician is now keeping up with his lineage. In fact, he's going one step further by experimenting with the santoor by extending its dimensions.

He has pioneered the concept of Gayan-Vadan Baaj in the Indian classical system and introduced the open string concept on the santoor. He has also contributed towards introducing cultural policy and music as a subject in the schools and colleges of Jammu and Kashmir. "My grandfather taught music in girls' schools back when it was considered a religious and cultural taboo in the state. I realised that a lot had to be done on the policy level and decided to do my bit," Sopori says.