2023
Year 2023 Award presented to V.V. Subrahmanyam
V.V. Subrahmanyam (VVS), born Vadakkencheri Veeraraghava Subrahmanyam in 1944 in Ernakulam, Kerala, is a renowned Carnatic violinist, composer, and academic, regarded as one of the finest violinists in Carnatic music. Trained by eminent maestros like Tripunithura Narayana Iyer, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, Musiri Subramania Iyer, and Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, VVS blends tradition with unmatched virtuosity. In 1966, he performed at the United Nations General Assembly alongside M. S. Subbulakshmi, gaining international acclaim. He served as a professor at Tamil Nadu Government Music College, Wesleyan University (USA), and other institutions in Europe. His accolades include the Kalaimamani (1993), Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award (1988), and the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2005). With an illustrious career as a performer, composer, and educator, VVS remains a towering figure in the world of Indian classical music.
2023
Year 2023 Award presented to Trivandrum V. Surendran
Trivandrum V. Surendran is a renowned mridangam exponent from Kerala, celebrated for his mastery of the Thanjavur Bani style. Born in Edappazhanji, Thiruvananthapuram, he began his musical journey under his uncle P. Gangadharan Nair and graduated from Swathi Thirunal College of Music in 1962. He trained under mridangam maestros Mavelikkara Velukkutty Nair and Palghat Mani Iyer, who named him Trivandrum V. Surendran. A teacher at Swathi Thirunal Music College and a long-serving staff artist at Akashvani, he performed with legends like Chembai and K. V. Narayanaswamy. Surendran has received numerous accolades, including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2019), Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship, Madras Music Academy Award, and Sree Guruvayurappan Chembai Puraskaram (2022). Residing in Thiruvananthapuram with his family, he continues to be an inspiring figure in the world of Carnatic percussion.
