Prabha Atre

Prabha Atre (born 1932) is an Hindustani classical vocalist. Known for contributions to Hindustani classical music, performance, teaching, and repertoire building.

She was trained to sing the Gayaki of Kirana gharana in a systematic way from Pt. Sureshbabu Mane from 1948 to 1955. After the unexpected death of Sureshbabu in 1955, she learnt under luminary vocalist Heerabai Badodekar from 1955 to 1957. Later she developed her own way of musical thinking and also got a new perspective of gayaki from the influence of Ustad Amir Kha and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.

She completed her B.S.C from the Fergusson College of Pune; as well as she received designation of L.L.B and Bar Council from the Law College. Besides her education, she also played main characters in Musical Plays along with her concerts. She got the opportunity to perform with many popular and known actors through musical plays like, 'Sangeet Sharada' , 'Vidyaharan' , 'Sanshaykallol' , 'Mrichhakatik' and others. She got a job in All India Radio; hence she decided to make music as her career. Later, from 1960 to 1970, she worked as an assistant music producer. From 1979 to 1992, she was the head of Music department at S.N.D.T Women's University of Mumbai.

Prabha Atre has composed many bandishes in various song-forms such as Khyal, Tarana, Thumri, Dadra, Bhajan, Geet, Ghazal and also Tappa. While in some of her compositions, there is slight essence of Carnatic Music which adds the sweetness to it. In both of her books namely 'Swarangini' and 'Swaranjani', there are almost 450 compositions (Bandishes).