Carnatic musician Dr Jayanthi Kumaresh named for Sangita Kalanidhi award

Chennai: Dr Jayanthi Kumaresh, best-known for her mastery of the Saraswati Veena and for innovative ideas in taking the Carnatic music to the youth, was on Sunday named for the prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi award by The Music Academy, Madras.

The 57-year-old made the veena her instrument of choice, beginning her tutelage under her mother Rajalakshmi and later training under her aunt Padmavathi Ananthagopalan and then the maestro S Balachander.

One of the foremost exponents of the Saraswati Veena, Jayanthi has also worked on collaborative performances with many musical greats, including the late Ustad Zakir Hussain.

“Apart from being a top-ranking performer in the Carnatic style, Jayanthi is known for her creative programmes to propagate Carnatic Music, especially among the young,” N Murali, President, The Music Academy, said in a statement here. 

Sugandha Kalamegham, who began her musical tutelage at age 13 under Sri Kadayam Krishnamurthy and Sri Gopala Iyer, and Trichur C. Narendran, who was born into a musical family and began his training on the mridangam at age seven, have been chosen for the Sangita Kala Acharya award. 

Sugandha also learnt the veena from Sangita Kala Acharya Trivandrum R Venkataraman, besides training in Hindustani music at the Gandharv Maha Vidyalaya, New Delhi.

She has been a concert artiste and guru, besides serving on the senate committee of Annamalai University, Chidambaram. 

Narendran, a front-ranking mridangam player, served as a staff artiste with All India Radio, and has trained numerous disciples and also served as visiting professor of music at San Diego State University, California for two years.

Injikkudi Subramaniam, who represents the 20^th generation in the field of nagaswaram and known for his performances, and TKV Ramanujacharyulu,  a violinist, have been chosen for TTK award. 

The Musicologist award will be presented to Dr B Balasubrahmaniyan, Adjunct Professor of Music and Co-Chair, Global South Asian Studies at the Wesleyan University. Dr Balasubrahmaniyan has taught music since 1985 and has also researched a wide range of topics related to the art.

Narendra G, a post-graduate from the Kalakshetra Foundation and known for his extensive work in the field of traditional south Indian classical dance, namely Bharata Natyam, will be conferred the Nritya Kalanidhi award. 

“He has performed extensively in India and elsewhere and is acknowledged as one of the foremost present-day exponents in the art,” the statement said, adding that the Nritya Kala Acharya will be presented to A Janardhanan, who trained at Kalakshetra under Rukmini Devi Arundale in Bharata Natyam and under his father T.K. Chandu Panikkar in Kathakali. 

The Dance Musician Award (Vocal) will be presented to S Rajeswari and the Dance Musician Award (Instrument) will be presented to T K  Padmanabhan.

Murali said the Sangita Kalanidhi awardee will preside over the academic sessions of the 100^th Annual Conference and Concerts of The Music Academy to be held between December 15, 2026 and January 1, 2027 and will receive the award, together with those selected for music awards.

The Nritya Kalanidhi, and other awardees for dance will receive the awards at the Inauguration of The Music Academy's 20th Annual Dance Festival on January 3, 2027.