T N Krishnan
Encyclopedia
Personal life and background
Krishnan was born in Tripunithura, Kerala to A. Narayana Iyer and Ammini Ammal. He learnt music from his father and was later mentored by Alleppy K.Parthasarathy a great patron of Music and sishya of Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar and later joined Semmangudi Srinivasa IyerSemmangudi Srinivasa Iyer
Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer is considered to be one of the greatest Carnatic vocalists of the twentieth century...
.He was a Professor of Music at a music college in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
and later he was Dean of the School of Music and Fine Arts at the University of Delhi
University of Delhi
The University of Delhi is a central university situated in Delhi, India and is funded by Government of India. Established in 1922, it offers courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate level. Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari is the Chancellor of the university...
.
TN Krishnan is married to Kamala Krishnan and has two children, Viji Krishnan Natarajan, and Sriram Krishnan. Both Viji Krishnan Natarajan and Sriram Krishnan are well-known violinists and follow the footsteps of their father. T N Krishnan's sister N Rajam is a famous violin player in Hindusthani tradition.
Career
TN Krishnan, a child prodigy, made his debut concert at the age of eight. At a young age he accompanied legends like Ariyakudi Ramanuja IyengarAriyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar
Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar or more popularly simply called as Ariyakudi was born in Ariyakudi a town in the Karaikudi district of Tamil Nadu, South India in the year 1890. Ariyakudi was a Carnatic Music vocalist and is known for his unique style. He made his debut at Tyagaraja Aradhana in 1918...
, Musiri Subrmania Iyer, Alathur Brothers
Alathur Brothers
Alathur Brothers Srinivasa Iyer & Sivasubramania Iyer were Carnatic vocalists. The world of Carnatic music knows them as the star duo of the twentieth century....
, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar and Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer
Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer
Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer was one of the great Indian Carnatic vocalists. He won several awards including Sangeetha Kalanidhi and Sangeetha Bhupathy.-Early life and background:Viswanatha Iyer was born in Chennai to Rama Iyer, a singer....
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Krishnan first arrived in Madras in 1942. Sri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer installed him in the care of Sri R. Aiyadurai, a prominent industrialist, philanthropist and connoisseur of Carnatic Music. Mr. Aiyadurai and his wife Smt. Thangam Aiyadurai welcomed the young Krishnan in to their home as their own. The Krishnan family and the Aiyadurai family share close ties till date.
His performance gives the importance he gave to expressional restraint. He scans the ragas with an eye on beauteous light and shade. In the present generation of musicians, he is one of the few instrumentalists who can provide this experience to listeners and create in their minds nostalgic memories of a bygone era. He travels extensively on musical tours all over the world.
In the midst of his concert commitments Krishnan has also carried on his father's tradition of teaching music to a number of students, both in the traditional parampara setting and more formal academic environments. Among his many talented students, some are, his daughter Viji Krishnan Natarajan, his son Sriram Krishnan, Charumathi Raghuraman etc.
Awards and titles
Krishnan was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi AwardSangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
in 1974 and became a fellow
Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
The Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, also, Sangeet Natak Akademi Ratna Sadasya is an honour for the performing arts in India...
of the academy in 2006. He received the Sangeetha Kalanidhi
Sangeetha Kalanidhi
Sangeetha Kalanidhi or Sangita Kalanidhi is the title awarded yearly to an expert Carnatic Musician by the Madras Music Academy. This honour is considered one of the highest awards in Carnatic music.-----Sangeetha Kalanidhis:-External links:*...
in 1980. Krishnan was awarded the Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
in 1973 and the Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
in 1992 by the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
.