Mylapore Sundaram Anantharaman (26 August 1924 – 19 February 2018) was an Indian Carnatic and Hindustani

violinist The following lists of violinists are available: * List of classical violinists * List of contemporary classical violinists * List of jazz violinists * List of popular music violinists * List of Indian violinists * List of Persian violinists * Li ...

. He was an exponent of Parur style of violin playing. He received several awards including

Kalaimamani Award The Kalaimamani is the highest civilian award in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. These awards are given by the ''Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram'' (literature, music and theatre), a unit of the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government o ...

and

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IAST: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recogni ...

Biography

M. S. Anantharaman was born on 26 August 1924, in a musical family in Paravur,

Aluva Aluva () is a Municipalities of Kerala, municipality and a northern suburb of the city of Kochi in Kerala. It is located about north of the city centre. Aluva is known for the Aluva Sivarathri festival, Sivarathri festival, which is celebra ...

in present-day

Ernakulam district Ernakulam (; ISO: ''Eṟaṇākuḷaṁ'') is one of the List of districts of Kerala, 14 districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala, and takes its name from the Ernakulam, eponymous city division in Kochi. ...

of Kerala. His father Parur Sundaram Iyer was a violinist in the royal palace of

Travancore The kingdom of Travancore (), also known as the kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor () or later as Travancore State, was a kingdom that lasted from until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvanan ...

. Iyer, migrated to Chennai from Kerala in 1932. Anantharaman learned the violin at the age of six from his father Sundaram Iyer. His father, who introduced Violin in Hindusthani music, trained Anantharaman and his brother M. S. Gopalakrishnan, both Carnatic and Hindustani music. His elder sister Parur Sitalakshmi was also a violinist. He made his debut at the age of seven. He and his sister played violin duets at the

Ramanathaswamy Temple Ramanathaswamy Temple (''Rāmanātasvāmi Kōyil'') is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva located on Rameswaram island in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples. It is one of the 275 Paadal ...

Subramaniya Swamy Temple, Tiruchendur The Arulmigu Subramanya Swami Temple, Tiruchendur is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Murugan (Kartikeya). It is second among six abodes of Murugan (''Āṟupatai vitukal'') situated in Tamil Nadu, India. It is located in the eastern end of ...

and Kanyakumari Temple. Anantharaman designed his own style with his brother. The brothers were popular in Parur Bani (mix of Hidustani and Carnatic styles). He was a regular participant at concerts in

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

as part of the Markazi festival. Later, when M. S. Gopalakrishnan performed his own violin concerts, Anantharaman became accustomed to accompanying musicians on the violin. Anantharaman became a violinist along with Carnatic musicians including

M. S. Subbulakshmi Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi (16 September 1916 – 11 December 2004) was an Indian Carnatic singer. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour and also the first Indian musici ...

and Hindustani musicians including

Omkarnath Thakur Pandit Omkarnath Thakur (24 June 1897 – 29 December 1967), was an Indian music teacher, musicologist and Hindustani classical singer. A disciple of classical singer Vishnu Digambar Paluskar of Gwalior gharana and the founder of Akhil Bhara ...

. He has served as a professor of violin in the Tamil Nadu Government Music College in Chennai from 1962 to 1983. Later, he taught violin in Pittsburgh,

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

also. His sons M. S. Sundareswaran and M. A. Krishnaswamy were also Carnatic violinists. His daughter M. A. Bhagirathi is a Carnatic vocalist. He died on 19 February 2018, at his home at Sri Apparswamy Koil Street,

Mylapore Mylapore (also spelt Mayilapur), or Thirumayilai, is a neighbourhood in the central part of the city of Chennai, India. It is one of the oldest residential parts of the city. The locality is claimed to be the birthplace of the celebrated Tamil ...

, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Awards and honors

1998 *

Kalaimamani The Kalaimamani is the highest civilian award in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. These awards are given by the ''Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram'' (literature, music and theatre), a unit of the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government ...

award of the Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Manram * T.T.K award of the Music Academy 1996 * Sangeetha Kala Acharya of the Music Academy * He was the Asthana Vidwan (Head Scholar) of the

Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, also called the Sri Kanchi Matham or the Moolamnaya Sarvagnya Peetham, is a Hindu religious center of Vedic learning, located in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. It is located near the Kamakshi Amman Temple of the Shaktism ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anantharaman, M. S. 1924 births 2018 deaths Carnatic violinists Hindustani violinists Recipients of the Kalaimamani Award Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Musicians from Chennai Carnatic instrumentalists Indian male classical musicians 20th-century Indian violinists