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T. V. Gopalakrishnan
Picture taken of TVG and T S Nandakumar during a speech in Bombay
Background information
Birth name	Tripunithura Viswanathan Gopalakrishnan
Born	(1932-06-11) 11 June 1932 (age 92)
Origin	Kerala, India
Occupations	singer, violinist, mridangist

Tripunithura Viswanathan Gopalakrishnan (born 11 June 1932 in Tripunithura, Kerala), known as TVG, is a Carnatic and Hindustani musician from Cochin, Kerala, India. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 2014.

Early years

Gopalakrishnan was born on June 11, 1932 into a family of musicians with a history spanning over two centuries. His father, T.G. Viswanatha Bhagavathar, was a court musician for the Cochin Royal Family and a professor of music at the S.K.V. College in Thrissur. Gopalakrishnan was the eldest child of his parents, who totally had nine siblings. started playing the mridangam at the age of four and had his arangetram at the Cochin palace at the age of six. He is a disciple of Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar.

Gopalakrishnan is married to Radha. The couple have 3 children - Two sons named Viswanath (Late), Ramanath, and one daughter named Aparna Raghavan. The popular violinist T.V. Ramani and ghatam exponent T. V. Vasan were his siblings.

Career

He is a musician who is equally proficient in both Carnatic and Hindustani vocals, mridangam and violin. TVG has toured with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, John Handy, Ravi Shankar, Ustad Alla Rakha. He has also collaborated with drummer/composer Franklin Kiermyer, Don Peake, Seigfried Kutterer and Carola Grey.

Gopalakrishnan was given the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1990. He has been awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in the year 2012.

In 2018, he was awarded a doctorate by Bharatidasan University for his research on the topic "Layathwam in Carnatic music".

Discography

This is an incomplete list of releases. The release dates are also not always indicative of the original release date of the associated record.

• Percussion Through the Ages in South India (instructional) (1961)
• Melodious Strings of the Indian Violin (featuring T. N. Krishnan) (1991)
• Eastern Beats (solo mridangam) (1995)
• Meeting Sounds of T.V. Gopalakrishnan (featuring M. S. Gopalakrishnan) (2005)
• Maragadamani (2008)

Awards

In his career spanning over five decades, many honours and awards have been bestowed on Gopalakrishnan. These include:

• Sangeetha Kalanidhi Award from Madras Music Academy, 2014
• Padma Bhushan, 2012
• Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship, 2006
• Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award, 1983
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
• Sangita Laya Samrat
• Rotary International Exemplary Citizen Award
• Kalaimamani
• Life Time Achievement award from Bangalore Ramaseva Mandali
• Swati Tirunall Lifetime Achievement Award
• Sapthagiri Sangeetha Vidwan Mani Award (Tirupathi)
• Legend of India Life Achievement Award
• "Arsha Kala Bhushanam" (H.H. Dayananda Saraswathi Life Time Achievement Award)
• Lifetime National Achievement Sankaracharya Award (Bombay), etc.
• Mudhra Award for excellence
• Lifetime achievement award from Bharath Kalachar, etc.

References

1. Massey, Reginald; Marcus Massey (1999). India's kathak dance, past present, future. Abhinav Publications. p. 113. ISBN 81-7017-374-4.
2. Kumar, Raj (2003). Essays on Indian Music. Discovery Publishing House. p. 205. ISBN 81-7141-719-1.
3. "Profiles of Artistes, Composers, Musicologists". Indian heritage. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
4. ^ Jayakumar, G. (2 September 2005). "A maestro's music". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 November 2006. Retrieved 28 July 2009.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
5. Rajan, Anjana (12 January 2007). "A time to every purpose". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
6. Srinivasan, Meera (30 September 2010). "Renowned Ghatam exponent passes away". The Hindu. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
7. "Chembai award for T.V. Gopalakrishnan". The Hindu. 17 August 2005. Archived from the original on 19 September 2006. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
8. "Pop and Jazz Guide". The New York Times. 21 May 2004. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
9. "Padma awardees say they feel honoured". The Hindu. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
10. "TVG researches Carnatic music, bags doctorate at 86". The Times of India. 22 February 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
11. "Classical Music". Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
12. "Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award: Classical Music". Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala. Retrieved 26 February 2023.

• 1932 births
• Living people
• Male Carnatic singers
• Carnatic singers
• Hindustani singers
• Indian percussionists
• Mridangam players
• Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
• Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts
• Singers from Kochi
• 20th-century Indian male classical singers
• 20th-century drummers
• 21st-century Indian male classical singers
• Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
• Recipients of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship
• Recipients of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award