Rugmini Gopalakrishnan (born 1936) is a

Saraswati veena The Sarasvatī vīṇa (also spelled Saraswati veena) (, , , Malayalam: സരസ്വതി വീണ) is an ancient Indian plucked veena. It is named after the Hindu goddess Saraswati, who is usually depicted holding or playing the instrume ...

artist in

Carnatic music Carnatic music (known as or in the Dravidian languages) is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and southern Odisha. It is o ...

from

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Profile

Smt. Rugmini Gopalakrishnan was born in

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

, before moving to

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

with her family as a young girl. She is the granddaughter of Gayakashikhamani Harikesanallur

Muthiah Bhagavatar Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar (15 November 1877 – 30 June 1945), commonly known as Muthiah Bhagavatar, is one of Carnatic classical music's famous twentieth-century composers. He also created about 20 ''ragas''. Early life Muthiah was bo ...

. She has spent over 65 years teaching, recording and performing of Carnatic music in India and is one of the best Veena teachers in India. She began her preliminary training in music and vocal under her uncle, Sri Nellai T.V. Krishnamoorthy, prior to receiving the Government of India Cultural Scholarship to undertake deeper studies in Carnatic music on the Saraswati veena with

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...

K. S. Narayanaswamy. In 1954, at the age of 17, Rugmini won the President's Award from the first President of India,

Rajendra Prasad Rajendra Prasad (3 December 1884 – 28 February 1963) was an Indian politician, lawyer, journalist and scholar who served as the first president of India from 1950 to 1962. He joined the Indian National Congress during the Indian independen ...

, at the first

All India Radio All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...

(AIR) Competition for Veena at 18 years of age. She served as Professor and Head of the Department of Music in th
Swathi Thirunal College of Music
in

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...

, Kerala from 1957 to 1986. She went on to serve as Principal at Chembai Memorial Government Music College in

Palakkad Palakkad (), Renaming of cities in India, also known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery, is a city and a municipality in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of P ...

from 1987 to 1990. She is a member of the Board of Studies at

University of Calicut The University of Calicut, also known as Calicut University, is a State ownership, state-run public university headquartered at Tenhipalam in Malappuram district of the state of Kerala, India. Established in 1968, it is the first university to ...

and a Member of the Audition Board of All India Radio for

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

and Thiruvananthapuram, and the author of several Indian government commissioned books and essays on Carnatic music in the

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

and

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...

languages. She has been given the title A-Top Grade Artist with All India Radio, a station that has been broadcasting her Veena recitals for over 64 years starting 1954. She gives performances regularly on the national Indian television channel

Doordarshan Doordarshan (), abbreviated as DD, is India's State-owned enterprise, state-owned public broadcasting, public television broadcaster. Established by the Government of India on 15 September 1959, it is owned by the Ministry of Information and B ...

Awards

* The President's Award from the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad at the first AIR Competition for Veena, 1954. *

Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship The Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship is an honour presented by the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, an autonomous organisation for the encouragement, preservation, and documentation of the performing arts of Kerala, set up by the Depar ...

, 2015

Radio and television

* Bestowed the title A-Top Grade Artist by All India Radio

Discography

* Nadalayam: a tribute to Gayakashikamani Dr. L. Muthiah Bhagavatar

References

External links

*National Programme of Music on Doordarshan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUjxsJioXbU *Ragamalika Thanam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyrhf6MDr4g * * * *
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gopalakrishnan, Rugmini Living people Indian women classical musicians Musicians from Tamil Nadu 1936 births Saraswati veena players Women Carnatic musicians Carnatic musicians 20th-century Indian musicians 20th-century Indian women musicians Women musicians from Tamil Nadu Recipients of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship