Eminent Carnatic musician and acclaimed mridangam exponent T V Gopalakrishnan has been chosen for the Sangita Kalanidhi award of the Music Academy for 2014.
His other honours include Sanget Natak Akademi and Padma Bhushan awards.
His other honours include Sanget Natak Akademi and Padma Bhushan awards.
Gopalakrishnan, 82, hails from a traditional family of musicians and is proficient in both Carnatic vocal and Hindustani vocal. Born in Tripunithura, Kerala, TVG, as he is known by most, started playing the mridangam at the age of four. His father, T G Viswanatha Bhagavatar, was a court musician for the Cochin royal family and a professor of music at the S K V College in Thrissur.
A disciple of Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, an eminent Carnatic music singer from Palakkad, Gopalakrishnan has been a popular guru among both Carnatic musicians and those pursuing music of other genres. He has been a pioneering collaborator in several fusion efforts as well.
Gopalakrishnan's students include Ilayaraja, A R Rahman, drummer Sivamani, saxophonist Kadri Gopalnath, vocalist Vidyabhushana. He has also collaborated with Canadian drummer and composer Franklin Kiermyer and performed with him live on several occasions.
Several musicians in the city extended their wishes to TVG. Mridangam maestro Umayalpuram K Sivaraman, who has performed with TVG described him as a "fine guru, scholar and researcher".
The Sangita Kala Acharya award will be given to vocalists Mangad Natesan and Alamelu Mani. Vocalist Malladi Suribabu and Naama Sankirtanam exponent Udaiyalur Kalyanaraman will get the T.T.K. award, named after late Union Finance Minister T.T. Krishnamachari. Padma Murthy has been selected for the musicologist award.
The Pappa Venkataramiah award for violin will be given to Lalgudi Rajalakshmi.