Vishesha Fine Arts has instituted three annual awards

VISHESHA ACHARYA: Awarded to a guru who has made significant contribution in the field of art by imparting knowledge

VISHESHA KALA POSHAKA: Awarded to an individual who has been striving for promoting and propagating fine arts

VISHESHA KALA CHETANA: Awarded to an artist who is committed to spreading the joy of art

:: RECIPIENTS OF 2012 ::

VISHESHA ACHARYA
Vid. H. K. Narasimhamurthy

Sri H.K.Narasimha Murthy is a senior and leading violinist hailing from Mysore, who has done the Carnatic Music community of our state proud in a distinguished career spanning over four decades. He has earned the respect of fellow musicians, critics, students and music-lovers alike, both as an extremely able performer and as a highly accomplished teacher.

Sri Narasimha Murthy’s acumen was shaped by his training in the revered Parur school of violin. He had the good fortune of learning under Sri Parur Sundaram Iyer, and later from his illustrious sons Sri M.S.Anantharaman and the legendary Sri M.S.Gopalakrishnan. He also came under the influence of many great musicians of the day, during his education at the Central College of Music, Madras, from where he obtained the degree of Sangeetha Vidwan.

Sri Narasimha Murthy’s abilities were recognised early. He won the first prize at the prestigious All India Radio competition, nearly forty years ago. He has since served the organisation with great distinction, having been employed as Staff Artiste at AIR, Mysore for several years, earning its ‘A-Top’ grade.

Sri Murthy has, throughout his career, enriched music concerts with his violin accompaniment. His playing technique is marked by great dexterity and unfailing support born out of deep understanding of the main musician. He is a veritable bridge between the past and present generations of musicians and music-lovers, having accompanied a long list of unforgettable stalwarts of yesteryear, including Sri Maharajapuram Vishwanatha Iyer, Sri Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, Sri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Smt.D.K.Pattamal, Sri D.K.Jayaraman, and many of the living legends such as Dr.M. Balamuralikrishna, Sri K.J.Yesudas, Sri T.V.Shankaranarayan, Sri T.N.Seshagopalan, Sri K.S.Gopalakrishnan and the Bombay Sisters, Smt.Saroja and Smt.Lalitha. He has also won many fans abroad, beginning with his debut visit to the USA about thirty years ago, accompanying the Bombay Sisters.

The lofty credentials of ‘HKN sir’, as he is popularly and respectfully known, continue to serve posterity, by way of preserving the art, especially the Parur style of violin, through his dedicated teaching. He is one of those rare combinations of a very distinguished performer and an exceptional Guru. His exemplary sincerity and humility, and the virtue of giving selflessly and lovingly, mark him out as an Acharya worthy of emulation. He epitomises the traits of a true preceptor. It is an acknowledged fact that mastering the art of playing the violin is a challenge in itself. It is an even bigger challenge to impart that mastery to one’s students. The present generation of Carnatic Music is fortunate in that Sri Murthy has trained a large number of very competent violinists, many of whom hold their own at the highest levels of concert performance today. It is indeed a matter of immense gratification that the likes of Sri HKN’s son Sri H.N.Bhaskar, Sri Mysore V.Srikant and Kum.H.N.Smitha have already established their names in the present competitive world of music. More than fifty of his disciples are professional musicians.

Adding to his impressive contributions to the cause of music is his role in founding the Sri Thyagaraja Sangeetha Sabha, which he has served with great devotion for over two decades and a half, making it one of the most respected organisations in Mysore.

An interesting aspect of Sri Narasimha Murthy’s personality is that he is an avid student of science and mathematics, and displays a child-like eagerness but an expert’s ability in understanding their applications. He is, in fact, a B.Sc. degree holder in Mathematics from the Mysore University with a gold medal to his credit.

Vishesha Fine Arts gratefully salutes Guru Sri H.K.Narasimha Murthy on the occasion of its first “Vishesha Utsava”, and confers on him the title of “VISHESHA ACHARYA”, this 26th day of February, 2012.

VISHESHA KALA POSHAKA
Sri. K. N. Anantharamaih

Sri K.N.Anantharamaiah is a well-known and popular figure among musicians and music audiences, as a devoted promoter of the fine arts. Until the early 1990’s, residents of a major portion of south Bangalore had been deprived of the opportunity to listen, in person, to their favourite musicians. Thanks to the efforts of Sri Anantharamaiah and his equally committed team, they have enjoyed a regular treat of music, dance and other performing arts for the past nearly twenty years.

Born to Sri K.R.Nanjundaiah and Smt.Nagamma in 1933, Sri Anantharamaiah moved from his birth-place Tumkur to Bangalore in the year 1958. His passion for learning is reflected by the fact that he acquired two degrees, as Bachelor of Science in 1952 and as Bachelor of Law in 1956, and began his working career as a teacher in a rural high school, where he worked for two years. Having practised as an advocate for two years thereon, he was later in the service of the central government for five years. In 1966, he joined the German multinational company MICO (BOSCH), where he worked meritoriously for 26 long years, until his retirement as Senior Sales Officer in the year 1992.

Rather than enjoying a well deserved rest, Sri Anantharamaiah plunged himself into social service by way of helping to promote exposure to music and other fine arts. He imbibed his love for music from his mother, and developed a refined taste for, and appreciation of, the best of classical music. This led to his regular attendance at the Bangalore Gayana Samaja, of which he has been a member of for over forty years now.

Sri Anantharamaiah’s major involvement in organising concerts began after his retirement from professional service. He is one of the founder members of the BTM Cultural Academy, and fondly recalls the foresight and sincere efforts of Sri Radhakrishnan and Sri Thyagarajan, both of whom visualised and established a forum that would bring classical music and musicians within reach of a vast number of fans. The first concert of the Academy was rendered by Sri Sanjay Subramanyam, grandson of Sri Thyagarajan. The temple in Mico Layout played host to the event. Moving on to a small hall in Jayanagar, the academy then shifted two years later to its present venue, the Ramana Maharshi School for the Blind in J.P.Nagar.

Sri Anantharamaiah was elected President of the academy in 1999, and has served in that capacity with great devotion and sense of purpose ever since. Not content with just preserving the traditional format of music concerts, Anantharamaiah has successfully introduced several innovative changes, through a variety of thematic concerts. The list is long and creditable. In January each year, members are treated to a ‘Saptaaha’ or an entire week of special concerts. The months of February and August each year are dedicated to ‘Raga, Tana and Pallavi’ demonstrations. A particularly praiseworthy and perhaps unique effort is the occasion dedicated to the compositions of Karnataka Mahila Vaggeyakaras (female music composers from Karnataka). The academy has also released a CD titled Geethadhaara that contains a recording of these compositions. In addition, the academy conducts Jugalbandhi concerts, violin duo or trio performances, Venu-Veena-Violin (VVV) concerts and dance recitals in specific months every year.

The number of members of the academy has increased to an impressive four hundred today. Nearly two hundred of them are life members. The concert in March 2012 will be its three hundred and fiftieth, and will also mark the completion of twenty years of its invaluable service to the field of music and performing arts.

All these statistics are a worthy tribute to the selfless dedication and perseverance of Sri Anantharamaiah and the like-minded members who have supported him with utmost sincerity over the years.

Sri Anantharamaiah is an unflinching patron of the performing arts, who has won the hearts of performers as well as audiences, and whose name has now come to be synonymous with the BTM Cultural Academy. He has set an example that deserves and needs to be emulated in order that future generations continue to benefit from the inexhaustible treasure that is our culture. For his part, Anantharamaiah cherishes his long association with all the artistes whom he has had the opportunity to host. He has won their affection and good wishes. That, he asserts, is his motivation.

Vishesha Fine Arts, on the occasion of its first “Vishesha Utsava”, acknowledges with gratitude the outstanding contribution of Sri K.N.Anantharamaiah and confers on him the title of “VISHESHA KALA POSHAKA”, this 26th day of February, 2012.

VISHESHA KALA CHETANA
Vid. H. S. Sudhindra

Sri H.S.Sudhindra is a very popular Mridangam vidwan who has been performing with great merit for over twenty years. He has established himself as an exceptional accompanist. Born on November 20, 1968, Sudhindra revealed an early interest in Carnatic music His parents Sri H.Srinivasa Rao and Smt.S.Indira nurtured his prodigious talent, bestowing their utmost affection and attention upon him.

He thus came under the guidance of Sri M.Vasudeva Rao, who laid the foundation for his emergence as a capable percussionist. Sudhindra later proceeded to have advanced education in the art from Sri Srimushnam V.Raja Rao, under whose tutelage he continues today. He gratefully acknowledges the blessings of both these erudite Gurus, and fondly recalls the occasions when he has accompanied one or the other of them in ‘double Mridangam’ concerts.

The numerous prizes, scholarships and awards that have embellished Sudhindra’s career bear testimony to his prowess and potential. To name just a few, he has topped the honours lists at competitions of the Karnataka Sangeetha Nritya Akademi and the South Central Zone Cultural Centre and in the Vidwat examination of the Karnataka Secondary Education Board, He has won the Palani Subramania Pillai award of the Madras Music Academy and the ‘Best Mridangam Artist’ award of the Indian Fine Arts Society, Chennai, the latter honour coming to him several times. He has earned the Junior Fellowship and the National Scholarship of the Government of India. He has been honoured with the Ananya Yuva Puraskar and the Nada Jyothi Puraskar, and decorated with many titles such as Laya Kala Pratibha Mani, Ganakala Sri and Ananya Chetana by various esteemed organisations.
He is currently an A-grade artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan.

Sudhindra is the instant choice of accompaniment of most contemporary musicians, vocalists, violinists, flautists and vainikas alike. He has performed together with eminent musicians like Dr.M.Balamuralikrishna, Sri T.N.Sheshagopalan, Dr.R.K.Srikantan, Sri T.N.Krishnan, Sri Nedanuri Krishnamurthy, Smt Padmavathi Ananthagopalan, Sri V.Deshikachar, Sri Erode Rajamani Bhagavathar, Smt.Neela Ramgopal, Sri Mysore Nagaraj & Dr. Mysore Manjunath, Smt. M.S.Sheela, Dr. Sukanya Prabhakar, Smt.R.A.Ramamani, Malladi Brothers, Sri Vidyabhushana, Sri R.K.Padmanabha and Sri D.V.Nagarajan, and many others. He is a regular performer at all the major music organisations such as the Bangalore Gayana Samaja, the Karnataka Gana Kala Parishat and Percussive Arts Centre and at the annual music festival of the Madras Music Academy and various other Sabhas in Chennai. Listeners and viewers of All India Radio and Doordarshan have been hearing him regularly in Sangeetha Sammelan, National Programme and other concerts. Sudhindra has also regaled fans abroad on his many visits to the USA, UK, UAE and Singapore.

His scholarship has found expression in the several lecture demonstrations he has conducted and the paper presentations on research topics done by him. With his indefatigable spirit and unrelenting pursuit of achievement, Sudhindra is also well-known as a committed teacher and a brilliant organiser. He has contributed immensely to popularising Carnatic music and the performing arts in general, and the art and science of Mridangam playing in particular, through the institution named Suswaralaya College of Music established by him. A large number of his disciples have been inspired by him and are on the way to establishing themselves as prominent members of the music fraternity.

Sudhindra’s contribution to music, musicians and music-lovers is truly multi-faceted. The ‘Directory of Musicians’ imaginatively conceived and brought out by him has been an invaluable possession of everyone associated in one way or the other with the world of Carnatic music in Karnataka. The propagation of music through the release of CD’s, DVD’s and books has been another notable contribution of his. The Kalashrita Kalpaka, a welfare measure thoughtfully set up by Sudhindra, benefits musicians in need of emergency medical aid.

Sudhindra is also making substantial contributions in the field of formal music education with his role in defining the syllabus for the M.A. (Music) degree of the Bangalore University, and as a member of the text-book committee for Tala Vadya exams of the Government of Karnataka.

So passionate is his involvement in music that Sudhindra makes light of a noteworthy academic achievement, his degree in electrical engineering.

Vishesha Fine Arts takes pride in recognising the remarkable accomplishments of Sri H.S.Sudhindra on the occasion of its first “Vishesha Utsava”, and confers on him the title of “VISHESHA KALA CHETANA”, this 26th day of February, 2012.