Every year on Republic Day, the Indian Government presents the Padma Awards for outstanding achievements in various fields of society. Among this year’s recipients is the renowned musicologist, ethnomusicologist and honorary professor at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin (HU), Prof. Dr Lars-Christian Koch. With the Padma Shri 2026, he receives one of India’s highest civilian honours for his services to Indian musical culture and German-Indian musical relations.
Lars-Christian Koch has been conducting research into Indian music for more than 40 years. His research focuses on the theory and practice of North Indian music, the study of musical instruments with particular emphasis on instrument-making, audiovisual media in cultural contexts, popular music and urban culture, musical interpretations in a historical context, and music archaeology.
About the laureate
Lars-Christian Koch has been an honorary professor at the Institute of Musicology at Humboldt Universität since 2022. Since October 2025, he has been Director of the State Ethnographic Collections at the Dresden State Art Collections. Prior to that, he was Director of the Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art at the Humboldt Forum.