Violin Duet Concert

Kum. Kanyakumari &
Embar Kannan

Sunday, October 3rd, 2010 @ 4:00 PM

Venue:

Ethical Society Hall

9001 Clayton Road

St. Louis, MO 63117

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Tickets: $15 General, $10 Students

Free for Sangeetha Members

Profile

Kum. Kanyakumari

Avasarala Kanyakumari is a renowned female Carnatic music violinist from South India. Kanyakumari is a native of Vijayanagaram, Andhra Pradesh and has been living in Chennai  for more than 25 years. She initially learnt from Sangeetha Kalasagara, Vayuleena Vidyapraveena Ivaturi Vijayeswara Rao a violin exponent in the Dwaram style and Guru to contemporary performing artists like Manda Sudharani, Dr. Pantula Rama, and later from maestro M. Chandrasekaran under the Govt. of India scholarship.

She also had a fruitful long association with Dr. M. L. Vasanthakumari (MLV) as her stock accompanist (1972–91). Nowadays, she plays alongside Kadri Gopalnath in concerts.

Other people Kanyakumari has played for include:

* Flautist Dr. N. Ramani,
* Vocalist Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna
* Flautist T. R. Mahalingam
* Mandolin U. Srinivas
* Mridangist T. V. Gopalakrishnan
* Saxophonist Kadri Gopalnath

She is also a distinguished soloist and has conducted many innovative recitals featuring 25 violins, 50 violins and recently 100 instruments for the new millennium. In 1988 she set a unique record playing the violin non-stop for 29 hours, at the Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala. She has also been given the status of Asthana Vidhushi of Dakshinamnaya Sri. Sarada Peetham of Sringeri Math, the Ahobila Mutt and the Dharma Paripalana Sabha. She is a seasoned artist and has given performances all over the world including the US, U.A.E, Canada, Australia and many parts of Europe.

* Dhanurveena Praveena, a title bestowed on her by M.S. Subbulakshmi, commemorating Kanyakumari’s 25 years in concerts
* Kalaimaamani Award
* Sangeeta Kala Nipuna, from the Mylapore Fine Arts Club, 2002
* Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, 2003

Kanyakumari is also a dedicated teacher of violin, and offers free violin classes in Chennai. Prasanna, a carnatic guitarist and Embar S Kannan who is a fantastic violinist are two of her students who are already making waves in the Carnatic music circle.

Embar Kannan

Born on 19th Feb 1975, Kannan hails from a family of musicians. Although he holds a post graduate degree in commerce, from the Madras University, music has been his raison’d’etre. Living up to his father, Sangeetha Bhooshanam, Sri Embar Sadagopan’s dream to see his son as a concert artist, Kannan took to the violin at the tender age of 6. He had his initial training in Carnatic music under Sri Subbanna Bhagavatar and Vittal Ramamurthy and in western classical music under music director, Diwakar master. He then continued his formal training in the violin under
Kum. Kanyakumari.

Acknowledged as a violinist par excellence, Kannan is an A- Grade with the All India Radio, a recognition given only to top ranking artists. Universally acclaimed as a violinist with extraordinary bowing quality and remarkably sweet playing, his style is marked by clarity, soulfulness and energy. Subbudu, the doyen among critics recognized Kannan as a prized jewel of Carnatic music as early as 1991. He remarked that Kannan’s music had the grace and ease of a Russian Ballerina.

Violinists hold a unique pride of place in carnatic music. As concert accompanists, they shoulder the twin responsibilities of perceiving the mindsets of vocalists, anticipating, reproducing and blending in with their music, even as they retain their individual identities. Kannan’s uncanny flair in this aspect has made him one of the most sought after accompanists in his time and he enthralls audiences, the world over with his music.