Tribute to the late Sangita Kalanidhi Dr. T. Viswanathan
Viswanathan
Aug. 13, 1927 - Sept. 10, 2002
Kamalamba Navavarana Kritis of Muttuswamy Dikshitar >>
as performed by T. Viswanathan and Party
Recorded live in concert in Marlboro, New Jersey, on Sunday, October 14, 2000.
Sponsored by Hindu American Temple and Cultural Center (HATCC), of
Sri Guruvaayoorappan Sannidhi (Sri Krishnaji Mandir), Morganville, NJ.
Performers:
flute and vocal: T. Viswanathan
vocal: Kala Prasad, Minakshi Tumuluri, Harish Neelakandan,
Vijayasree Mokkapati, Susan Tveekrem, and Joseph Getter
violin: A. Ananthakrishnan
mridangam: A. Anand
tambura: Joseph Getter
T. Viswanathan comes from one of the most illustrious music and dance families of South India, and is one of India's most noted and respected musicians. His grandmother, Veena Dhanammal, was considered to be one of the finest vina players of this century. His sister, T. Balasaraswati, was regarded as the greatest exponent of bharata natyam, the classical dance of South India.
Viswanathan studied Ethnomusicology at the University of California at Los Angeles on a Fulbright scholarship from 1958 to 1960, and holds a doctorate from Wesleyan University. He was head of the Department of Music at Madras University from 1961 to 1966. He has, for a number of years, taught voice and flute to both Indian and American students, including the late Jon Higgins, who was the first creditable non-Indian performer of Karnatak music. He has taught at the University of California at Los Angeles, California Institute of the Arts, the American Society for Eastern Arts summer programs, and Wesleyan University, where he has been a member of the music faculty for the past three decades.
In 1976 Viswanathan and his brother, the late T. Ranganathan, recorded the musical accompaniment for Bala, a film on the life of their sister. The film was funded by the Government of India and the Government of Tamilnadu, and was produced and directed by Satyajit Ray, whose past works included The Music Room and The Apu Trilogy. Other recordings by Viswanathan include South Indian Flute (World Pacific, WPS21451), Pallavi (Nonesuch Explorer Series, H72052), and South Indian Classical Flute (Japan Victor Co., VICG5453). Recently released is Tribute, a CD recorded in the summer of 1996 (Performing and Media Arts).
Viswanathan has received some of India's most prestigious music awards. He was chosen Instrumental Musician of the Year (Kalaimamani), by the Government of Tamilnadu in 1978. He has been given the President's Award by the Sangeet Natak Akademi (1987), and in 1988 was named Sangita Kalanidhi (the highest award given to a South Indian musician) by the Music Academy in Madras.
In 1992 Viswanathan became the first South Asian to be awarded the prestigious National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts (U.S. government), in recognition of his contribution and achievement in South Indian music. He received a distinguished award for contributions to Indo-American understanding from the Taraknath Das Foundation (Columbia University) in 1998.
Viswanathan is an active performer throughout North America, Europe, and India. In 1961 he participated with Balasaraswati in the East-West encounter held in Tokyo, Japan. In 1963 he performed at the Edinburgh Music Festival conducted by Lord Harewood. In 1994 he participated and performed in the tenth anniversary of the Koizumi Fumio Archives in Tokyo. He concertised throughout Europe in the Summer of 1998. Whenever he visits India, Viswanathan performs at important musical organizations including All India Radio, and Doordarshan of Chennai and New Delhi (National Programme).
Viswanathan, performance at a house concert, with vocal support by Susan Tveekrem. Event sponsored by Prakriti Foundation, Chennai. Tiruvidendai (near Mahabalipuram), December 24, 2000. Photo by Peter Weismiller.
Kamalamba Navavarana Kritis of Muttuswamy Dikshitar >>
