Lovely Sharma

She is a professional sitar player and scholar of Indian classical music with a strong presence in both performance and academia. She is an approved artist of All India Radio (New Delhi) and Doordarshan, and an empanelled artist of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Ministry of External Affairs.

Academically, she has served as a Professor in the Department of Music at Dayalbagh University, Agra. She is also noted as the first woman sitarist to receive a D.Litt. degree, reflecting her advanced academic contribution to music studies.

Her work extends beyond performance into music therapy and social impact. She is recognized for using Indian classical music in correctional settings, including working with life-term prisoners as part of therapeutic and rehabilitative initiatives.

She has been actively involved in numerous government and non-government cultural and educational organizations. Her roles have included:

• Executive Member of UGC (Delhi)
• Executive Member of Rajasthan Public Service Commission (Ajmer)
• Former Vice Chancellor of Raja Mansingh Tomar Music & Arts University, Gwalior
• Expert member associated with ICHR (Delhi)

She also holds memberships in several national and international institutions related to music, musicology, psychology, education, and arts promotion, including the World Federation of Music Therapy (Australia) and the International Society for Music Education (ISME).

Her career reflects a combination of performance, scholarship, administration, and community engagement, contributing to the wider promotion and understanding of Indian classical music.