K.Bhaskaran is a leading artiste in Indian Classical Music, specialising in South Indian style.
He had his initial training under Mayavaram Saraswathi Ammal popularly known as Mayavaram Papa, in music circles, a veteran musician belonging to the hoary tradition of the Tanjore-Mayuram belt. K.Bhaskaran has performed widely, both on stage and over radio and television, all over India, and also in USA in 1993, including one under the auspices of the Carnatic Music Association of North America, Georgia, which were received very enthusiastically by the listeners.
He has released several albums with major labels, the latest being "Winds of Peace", published by Bilva Music a unique duet on two flutes played by the same artiste, in a refreshing blend of the North and South Indian approaches. He has received several awards, including the All India Radio award for flute in 1977, the "Silver Flute" award of the Music Academy, Chennai, in 1990. His playing is known for its melodic lucidity, rich timbre and a refreshing orginality in the interpretation of both traditional ragas and modern compositions. He has performed in a very unique programme, "Nadalayam", featuring the flute and the tavil perhaps for the first time ever, in the Radio Sangeeth Sammelan festival in 2000, with the veteran tavil mastero Sri Haridwaramangalam A.K.Palanivel.
In this album 'PRANAM', flute maestro Bhaskaran has performed compositions of a galaxy of composers namely, Thyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Purandaradasa, Mysore Vasudevachar, and Sadasiva Brahmendra. He has also used the North Indian 'bansuri' style in his Kalyani alapana to give a refreshing bass contrast to the higher ranges of the South Indian 'Kuzhal'. Bilva Music acknowledges the organizers of the live concert, the Music Club, IIT for permitting and enabling this live concert recording on October 2001.
Miridangist Kalaimamani Guruvayoor Sri Durai has over 50 years of brilliant career as a mridangam artiste, accompanying all the leading stars, right from those of yester-years to those who are the leading and upcoming stars of today. He has trained under the eminent vidwans [late] Sri Palghat Subba Iyer, and [late] Sri Palani Subramania Pillai. He has performed abroad in concert tours to Malaysia, Singapore, USSR, Hungary, USA, and many other countries. He has been felicitated by the CAMANA [Carnatic Music Association of North America] in 1993 at New Jersy for his 50 illustrious years of service to Karnatic music. He has released several disks as a solo percussion artists as well as accompanying several leading artistes. He has been a visiting professor of music at the University of Washington, Seatle and at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo USA. His latest awards are 'Sangeetha Seva Nirata' of the Sri Thyagaraja Sangeetha Vidwat Smajam, Chennai, and 'Sangeetha Kalasagaram' of Kalasagaram, Hyderabad.
Srirangam Sri Kannan, a leading morsing artiste, learnt under Kanadukathan Sri M.Rajaram, a leading mridanga vidwan, and learnt further techniques of morsing playing from Kalaimamani Pudukottoi Sri S. Mahadevan. He has been accompanying all leading artistes and has particpated in several ensembles programmes all over the world including USA, USSR, France, Italy, Belgium, UK, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore, etc. In his 25 year performing career, he has also received several awards like the 'Kalaimamani' award by the TamilNadu Government in 1998 and the 'Asthana Vidwan' title by Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, Kanchipuram in 2000
