He is survived by his wife and music director son Manikanth Kadri.
An A grade artist in Akashwani, Gopalnath held concerts in different countries and recorded a number of CDs. He was considered as a pioneer in playing Carnatic ragas on his Saxophone.
Apart from Padma Shree, Gopalnath was conferred with Sangeetha Nataka Academy Award, Karnataka Kalasri award among others.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief on his demise, In a tweet, he said, ‘The remarkable Kadri Gopalnath epitomised excellence. Blessed with exceptional diligence and talent, he made a valuable contribution to Carnatic music. His works were popular across continents. Pained by his demise. My thoughts are with his family and admirers.