Dr Sowmya to get prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi Award

Eminent Carnatic vocalist Dr S Sowmya, one of the foremost exponents of the art in today’s Carnatic music world, will be conferred the prestigious ‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ award during the ‘Margazhi Music Festival’ early next year, the Madras Music Academy announced.

Dr Sowmya, who is known for her intellectual approach to music, is part of the faculty of the prestigious Madras Music Academy’s Advanced School of Carnatic Music and is also part of the Academic Council of the Tamil Nadu Music and Fine Arts University.

“She will preside over the 93rd annual conference of The Music Academy to be held from December 15, 2019 to January 1, 2020,” N Murali, President, Madras Music Academy, said in a press release on Sunday, while announcing Sowmya as the recipient for this year’s ‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ award.

Seetha Narayanan and M S Sheela have been chosen for ‘Sangita Kala Acharya’ award, while Vyasarpadi Kothandaraman, a popular Nagaswaram artist in the field, and Rajkumar Bharathi, great grandson of Tamil poet and freedom fighter Subramanya Bharathi, will be conferred with T T K Awards.

Dr Arati N Rao, an assistant professor with Jain University in Bengaluru, has been chosen for Musicologist Award, Nritya Kalanidhi award goes to Priyadarsini Govind, the statement said.

“Sangita Kalanidhi and other music awards will be conferred at the Sadas of the Music festival on January 1, 2020. The Nritya Kalanidhi Award will be presented at the inauguration of the Dance Festival on 3rd January 2020,” Murali, also the co-chairman of The Hindu Group of publications, said in the statement.