T. V. Sankaranarayanan

Tiruvalangadu Vembu Iyer Sankaranarayanan
Background information
Also known as	TVS
Born	(1945-03-07) 7 March 1945 Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu, India
Origin	India
Genres	Indian classical music
Occupation	Classical vocalist
Years active	since 1968

In this Indian name, the name Vembu Iyer is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Sankaranarayanan.

T. V. Sankaranarayanan (Tiruvalangadu Vembu Iyer Sankaranarayanan, born 7 March 1945) is a Carnatic vocalist (South Indian classical singer), known for his music that stems from the style of his late uncle-guru, Madurai Mani Iyer. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 2003.

Sankaranarayanan is particularly noted for easily reaching the upper notes.

Some of his musical disciples include R. Suryaprakash, his daughter Amruta Sankaranarayanan and his son Mahadevan Sankaranarayanan.

Profile

T. V. Sankaranarayanan sings at Kanhangad in Kerala on 17 February 2017 in Thyagaraja - Purantharadasa sangeetholsavam

He was born in Mayiladuturai of Thanjavur district in the state of Tamil Nadu in south India. At the age of nine, he started learning music from his uncle, Madurai Mani Iyer.

He made his debut on the concert platform in 1968 and then gradually established himself as a Carnatic vocalist. He has performed in India and abroad and has several albums. In a profile published in the Financial Express, Subbudu, a music critic, once wrote: "Sankaranarayanan is indeed an asset to the Carnatic music world, where the tribe of good vocalists is dwindling."

Awards and honours

• Gayaka Sikhamani by Bhairavi, USA in 1981
• Swara Laya Ratnakara by Ramakrishnananda Saraswati of Sri Vidyasram, Rishikesh in 1986
• Ganakalaratnam by Dr. Semmangudi Srinivasa Ayyar in 1987
• Nadakanal By Nadakanal, Madras in 1987
• Innisai Perarasu By Bharati Kalamandram, Toronto in 1981
• Sangeetha Ratnakara By Vassar College in 1975
• Swara Yoga Shironmani By Yoga Jivana Satsangha (International)in 1997
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1990
• Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2003
• Sangeetha Kalanidhi by the Madras Music Academy in 2003
• Sangeetha Kalasikhamani by The Indian Fine Arts Society in 2005
• Vidhya Tapasvi by TAPAS Cultural Foundation in 2012

References

• On a joyous musical journey from The Hindu newspaper