Kathmandu, October 20
The complete collection of legendary composer Gopal Yonjan’s works has been compiled, documented, and donated to the Cornell University Library by his spouse, Renchin Yonjan, free of cost.
The collection is now part of the Cornell University South Asia Collection and the Archive of World Music, internationally recognized repositories that preserve and promote the musical and cultural heritage of South Asia.
According to Shrijana Singh Yonjan, daughter of Gopal Yonjan, this initiative not only guarantees professional preservation and digitization of Yonjan’s creations but also ensures that his works will be accessible to researchers, students, and artists worldwide. This move integrates Yonjan’s contributions into the broader academic study of South Asian music, placing Nepal’s musical legacy alongside that of India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
“The invaluable contribution of Cornell University in preserving and making these works accessible must be acknowledged and celebrated by the Nepali music community and by Nepal as a whole,” writes Yonjan in her Facebook. “Unfortunately, such facilities, both in terms of infrastructure, professional approach, and work ethics do not exist in Nepal.”
