Sangita Kalanidhi award conferred on violinist R.K. Shriramkumar

Noted Hindustani violinist N. Rajam on Thursday (January 1, 2025) advised students of music to pursue their practice continuously and without interruption, saying it would keep opening doors they never expected.

Conferring the Sangita Kalanidhi award on violinist R.K. Shriramkumar on the occasion of the Sadas of the Music Academy in Chennai, Ms. Rajam, Emeritus Professor and former Dean of the Faculty of Performing Arts at Banaras Hindu University, said that even after more than 85 years of rigorous practice and sadhana, she still felt like a student.

While presenting the award, she encouraged the audience to give a standing ovation to Mr. Shriramkumar, an authority on the keertanas of Muthuswami Dikshitar.

“Music is such an unfathomable ocean—Carnatic or Hindustani, north or south. What we learn in one lifetime is just a speck of that ocean. I strongly feel that all the great musicians we encounter with prodigious proficiency must have been practising the art for multiple births,” said Ms. Rajam, recalling the days when she attended concerts at the Academy as a child.

She said she would sit in the last row of the Academy and try to observe and absorb veteran musicians rendering complex Ragam–Tanam–Pallavi. “I would run home immediately after the concert, where my father would be eagerly waiting. I would render verbatim the pallavi line, anulomam and pratilomam. I would rest only after my father approved what I had absorbed,” she recalled.

She also appreciated the Music Academy’s century-long service to the cause of music, as well as the music school attached to it.

President of the Academy N. Murali said it was at Banaras Hindu University that Ms. Rajam decided to pursue Hindustani music, having earlier listened to recordings of Pt. Omkarnath Thakur. Ms. Rajam, the sister of noted violinist T.N. Krishnan, later became a student of Pt. Thakur.

“Before her, the violin was not truly an accompanying instrument in Hindustani music. Moreover, instrumentalists in that system played accompanying instruments in a style distinct from the gayaki style adopted by Rajam. She thus played a pioneering role in introducing the gayaki style to Hindustani violin,” Mr. Murali said.

He also appreciated the teamwork of his colleagues, staff, volunteers and scouts who contributed to the music season’s success.

Thavil player T.R. Govindarajan and musician Shyamala Venkateswaran received the Sangita Kala Acharya awards. Kathakali musician Madambi Subramanian Namboodiri and veena-playing couple J.T. Jeyaraaj Krishnan and Jaysri Jeyaraaj Krishnan received the TTK awards. The Musicologist award went to Professor C.A. Sreedhara.

Prizes were given to winners of various competitions. N. Ramji, secretary of the Academy, proposed the vote of thanks.