Violin Maestro Padma Shri Kunnakudi R. Vaidyanathan is a top performer, arresting violinist, innovator and an artist of varied interests. He has won over 200 awards to his credit and the Maestro, also runs the Kunnakudi Sangeetha Gurukulam in Chennai, India.

Musical Bio

He was born in 1935 to Sri Ramaswamy Sastri and Smt. Meenakshi at Kunnakudi, an important Lord Muruga Kshetram of Tamil Nadu. His father R. Ramaswamy Sastri, was his Guru, who was an extremely versatile man. He was a Harikatha exponent and he knew to play the Flute, Jalataranga, Veena and was also a vocalist. He also wrote many songs. Kunnakudi’s brother was a Mridangam player and his two sisters are classical singers. His father was an erudite scholar in Sanskrit, Tamil and Carnatic Music.

Even at the early age of 12, he stepped into the big league by playing for Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar. His sound knowledge made him to accompany great stalwarts like Srirangam Ayyappan, Semmangudi, AKC Natarajan, Shankara Shivam, Chittoor Subramania Pillai, Kalyana Krishna Bhagavathar, Madurai Mani, Maharajapuram Vishwanatha Iyer and many others.

Skills

He is known for his dexterity and subtlety in handling the instruments. He is catering his art not only to the erudite scholar in music but also to the layman. His play reflects his own different moods and the demands of his audience with whom he establishes and enjoys rapport. He dwells with ease and competence at the highest and the lowest octaves.

Kunnakudi is generally credited with the honour of raising the Violin from an accompanying instrument to the forefront as a solo instrument (in Carnatic music), by conducting several solo performances.  He has also been instrumental in bringing about certain innovations like playing violin with the accompaniment of a thavil (a kind of drum). His performances with the thavil were a huge success. The thavil was chosen because it is a combination of nadham and layam (Melody and Rhythm).  He has given thousands of performances with leading Thavil vidwans.

Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan has deep faith in the therapeutical merits of music. He runs an institution called Raga Research Centre to conduct research on the medical benefits of various Carnatic Ragas.  He believes that Raga Shankarabharanam for example, has the power to cure mental illnesses, such as depression, stress etc. Raga Anandabhairavi cures hypertension. Raga Amritavarshini can invoke the rain gods. His  introduction to music therapy was through his own father's sudden recovery from a coma of 26 days after a 14-year-old Kunnakudi played Bhairavi raga on the violin, which brought him back. In 1982, when Chennai had no rains, Dr. Karunanidhi, who was the Chief Minister, asked the Maestro to help him. He decided to go to the Red hills reservoir and play Ragam Amrithavarshini. Can you believe it? Chennai saw rains after that!
Kunnakudi with the tinsel world:  He was made a music director while playing the violin as part of the orchestra for the HMV Recording Company. He composed Muruga Ganamrutham, comprising songs sung by the Sulamangalam sisters, for whom he have played the violin for nine years. He has directed and set music for 700 devotional songs and 42 feature films. He was the first person to set music for a pop number sung by Usha Uthup, for the film Mel Nattu Marumagal.

He entered the film world through the film Va Raja Va in 1968, with the blessings of Director A.P. Nagarajan. He has composed music for films like Thirumalai Thenkumari, Mel Nattu Marumagal, Namma Veetu Deivam and many others. He also set music for the first cinemascope film Raja Raja Cholan. On the request of M.G.R to bring out the beauty of Carnatic music in his movie Navaratinam, he presented Thyagaraja kritis in the film, similar to western tunes and also set Hindustani lyrics to raga and tala.
The feature film ‘Todi’, his full length presentation of rich music with T.N. Seshagopalan was a success.

Accomplishments

Maestro was awarded the high national honour of Padma Shri by the Governemnt of India for exceptional and distinguished service, distinguished service of high order and distinguished service, respectively, in the field of Music.

The title of `Carnataka Isaignani' on Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan on behalf of the Tamil Nadu Government by presenting a silver plaque to him. He was also handed over a diamond-studded violin on behalf of his school, Gurukulam.

Since 1980, he is Secretary, Shri yagabramha Mahotsava Sabha, Tiruvaiyaru. Was appointed State Artiste by Tamil Nadu Government in 1984. He is a Member, South Zone Cultural Centre, Government of India since 1986. He was appointed Asthana Vidwan, Kanchi Mutt in 1987. Has received the following titles and honours: Akashwani Awards, 1981 and 1987 Violin Chakravarti Ezhilisai Endhal Thirai Isai Mannan Violin Award at Singapore Kalaimamani Tamilnadu Eyal Isai Nataka Mandram. Bharatha Violin Vadya Bhaskara H.H. Sri Santhananda Swamigal Thantri Nada Mani H.H. Sri Jayendra Saraswathi of Kanchi Violin Samrat Karnataka Sangeetha Sabha, New Delhi Sangeetha Sagaram Cultural Centre of Performing Arts, Madras (1988) Isai Perarignar Tamil Isai Sangham (1989) Concert tours: Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. `Carnataka Isaignani' conferred on Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan .