GUWAHATI: Neil Nongkynrih, a concert pianist who was the founder, mentor and conductor of the famous Shillong Chamber Choir, passed away in Mumbai on Wednesday.
The 51-year-old was awarded Padma Shri in 2015. He was the son of former Meghalaya minister AH Scott Lyngdoh.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma mourned the death.
“I am saddened beyond words by the sudden demise of Padma Shri Neil Nongkynrih...He was a mentor to the country’s finest choir that serenaded crowds wherever they performed. We have lost a gem today,” Sangma tweeted.
Himanta wrote on the micro-blogging site: “Deeply saddened by the news of the demise of Neil Nongkynrih. Under his leadership, the choir rose to great heights winning fame not only for Meghalaya but the entire Northeast. May his soul rest in peace!”
The Shillong Chamber Choir had shot to fame by winning the reality show India’s Got Talent in 2010.
The musical career of Nongkynrih took off in 1988 when he left Shillong for Great Britain to study music. Following his return to India in 2001, he founded the Shillong Chamber Choir.