BRIEF BIODATA OF VAINIKA VIDWAN SRI. S. SRINIVASAN

Vainika Vidwan Sri. S Srinivasan is a well known Veena and Vocal artist in Chennai.

 

Born in 1959, he receieved his initial training in veena from his father, who is a disciple of the great Vainika Vidwan Sri. Karaikudi Sambasiva Iyer, and received further training under the guidance of Rajeshwari Padmanabhan, who is the grand daughter and disciple of Sri.Karaikkudi Samba Shiva Iyer. He adopts the Karaikkudi Bani in Veena rendering.  He also has acquired intensive training for a period of 5 months under Lalgudi Sri. Jayaraman.

 

He is an Accomplished Vocalist and has learnt Vocal Music under the guidance of Calcutta Krishnamurty and Sangeetha Kalanidhi Padma Bhushan Sri. B. Rajam Iyer.

He is a Graduate in Indian Music from University of Madras,

Sangeetha Alankar (MA) from Akhila Bharathiya Gandharva Vidhyalaya,

Teacher's Diploma in Music from Teacher's College, Chennai and

Sangeetha Vidwan from Tamil Nadu Government Music College.

 

He has been giving concerts in all the prestigious organizations in Chennai, namely; 

Madras Music Academy,

The Indian Fine Arts Society,

Sri. Krishna Gana Sabha,

R R Sabha,

Narada Gana Sabha, and

Mylapore Fine Arts Club. 

 

He has also rendered Veena concerts in other parts of India and is well appreciated for his Special Technique, the Gayaka Bani in the fingering technique.

He has been invited by the Cleveland Aradhana committee this year April, 2007  to participate in the Thyagaraja Festival.

 

At present he is working as a Veena Artist in All India Radio, Chennai. He is an A Grade Artist and performs in the All India Radio and Doorarshan Kendra in Chennai.

 

Sri. Srinivasan has many CDs and Professional Recordings of performances to his credit.

 

Sri. Srinivasan has received various Awards:

Best Artist of the State in 1981- 1982 by Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Mandram.

Awarded the Government of India Scholarship 1981- 1983 for Intensive Training in Veena from Smt. Rajeshwari Padmanabhan.

Award of Merit  for proficiency as Senior Veena Artist at Narada Gana Sabha, year 2001. 

Best Performance during the Music Festiaval  in 1989 and also in 2003 by Indian Fine Arts Society.

Best performance Award in the Music Festival 1994  and also in 2005 by Music Academy.

Asthana Vidwan by Kanchi Kamakoti Matt , Kanjeepuram in the year 2002. 

 

Selected Press Reviews of Sri. Srinivasan's Special Concerts: 

 

Hearing veena artist S. Srinivasan perform at Music academy recently, it was evident that he has inherited a style and technique with a good grip over the technical aspects conveying authentically the dictions of the kritis chosen. The ragam-tanam-pallavi in raga ‘reetigowla’ was given elaborate treatment. The beautiful fingering technique of the artist revealed the emotive splendor of the piece.                                                     The Indian Express - 02-01-2006

  

There was melody and depth in the veena concert of S. Srinivasan. His musical awareness and sensitivity could be observed in his raga essays. Begada was developed methodically and the traditional authentic phrases gave the raga much dignity.                                                                The Hindu 10-01-2006

 

The veena recital by S. Srinivasan in the Sri Rama Navami series at the Asthika Samaj, Alwarpet was uniformly pleasing. His intuitive melodic perception was well matched by perfect expression. The core of the performance was the Shankarabaranam alapana and the kriti ‘Enduku Peddala’.  Full of raga bhava, each movement came through the play of gana-naya meettu, sensitive and convincingly persuasive.                                                     The Hindu – 02-05-2003

 

A detailed alapana in Todi, followed by a sweet tanam for Shyama shastri’s ‘Ninne Nammi Naanu’ (Misra chapu) highlighted a pleasant veena recital by S. Srinivasan at R R Sabha on the last day. The concert was marked for its total tranquility and poise.                                              The Hindu – 17-01-2003

                                                                                

The meettu and movement of the fingers on the frets were firm without being harsh. The good rendering of ‘Sri Mahaganapathi’ {gowla},  ‘Kanukona sowkhyamu’ (nayaki), ‘Pooraya Mamakaamam’ (Bilahari) and ‘Shankari Sankuru (Saveri) provided pleasurable experience to the listeners. The suppleness of Saveri and the robustness of Shanmukhapriya was noteworthy in the performance. The ragas whether Begada or Bilahari were etched clearly from the first phrase and imbued with the restrained bhava of classicism. The kriti retained its shape in the respectful treatment. No gimmicks, nothing self consciously trendy.

The best was the main piece starting with a fine alapana of Kambhoji. The phrases were carefully chosen, rendered with gamakas aglow. This was followed by ‘O Rangasayee’ (Adi) in a pace that maintained the tautness without sacrificing grandeur, a feature noticeable in the swaras as well.  The Hindu – 21-12-2002

 

The artist’s elaborate exercises on swaras suffixed to the piece in Nattai – reflected his earnestness to convey the raga’s significant features. S. Srinivasan’s detailed description of Vachaspati was heart warming.  The piece ‘Kandajoodumi’ succeeded a tidy instrumental diction. The artist’s delineation of Bhairavi was impressive.  The piece “Balagopala’ of Dikshitar was presented with an appreciation of his musical contents as a soulful composition of a gifted vainika gaayaka of a celebrated order.                                                                                                                                                                       The Hindu -06-2001  

                                           

The veena recital of S. Srinivasan was marked by ‘knowledgeable rendition’, traditional paatanthara and a majestic lively approach to music.  Todi alapana was elaborate featuring many traditional pidis and Thyagaraja’s Lalgudi pancharatna kriti ‘Gati Neevani’ was played in an exemplary manner, full of raga, bhava and kalpana swaras.                                                                                                                                                                         The Hindu – 05-01-2001

 

S. Srinivasan gave a tasteful recital on the veena for the Music club at the Indian Institute of Technology, Adyar.  Accompanied by Mannargudi A. Easwaran on the mirdangam and Vaikkom Gopalakrishnan on the ghatam, he delighted the audience with his deft delineation of the opening varnam in Charukesi and of the pieces ‘Poorayamamakaamam’ (Bilahari) and Sri Narada (Kanada). The attractiveness of the artist’s portrayal of Bilahari and Kanada in the graceful instrument style aligned scrupulously on the sruti drew admiration. The texts of swaras played by him at the conclusion of the piece of Thyagaraja in Kanada were neat. 

                                                                                                                                                                                               The Hindu - 25-09-2000

                                                                                                                                                                                                     

In the afternoon slot on the same day S Srinivasan (Veena) imparted briskness and verve to his performing style. His fingers moved on the frets with great agility and precision. He mixed the sphuritam and gamaka techniques well to impart distinction to his rendering. He elaborated Begada and Varali ragas bringing out their varied shades.                                                                                                                                                                  The Hindu - 24-04-1998

 

In the Vaadhya Madhuri series arranged by the Music Academy, there were two excellent concerts. In the recital by S Srinivasan there was a blend of movement, elegance and clarity. The artist never indulged in fingering or meetu flamboyance. Each segment of the raga alapana – Varali and Karaharapriya – was in consonance with the truthful swaroopa of the raga.                                                                                                                    The Hindu - 20-11-1996 

 

Srinivasan played uniformly well. He had first learnt to play the veena from his father, who was a disciple of Karaikudi Sambasiva Iyer and more recently from Smt Rajeswari Padmanaban, also a grand daughter and disciple of the great vainika. Srinivasan is a true student of that school of veena playing with his strong and firm fingering technique.                                                                                                                                                          The Hindu – 17-11-1995

 

The young artist remarkably displayed his feel for the charm of the tunefulness of the strings aligned neatly on the sruti.  Balagopala, (Bhairavi) of Muthuswamy Deekshitar was impressive and reflected the eagerness to invest his artistry with tasteful gamakas through disciplined finger techniques. His essary of Bhairavi was enjoyable with grandeur depicted engagingly.                                                                                                                       The Hindu – 24-12-1993