Jayanthi Kumaresh awarded the coveted Sangita Kalanidhi in The Music Academy’s 100th year

Jayanthi Kumaresh, one of the most distinctive voices in the tough space of Carnatic veena, has been announced as the recipient of the prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi this year by The Music Academy in Chennai.

Bharatanatyam exponent Narendra G will receive the Nritya Kalanidhi.

The award for Kumaresh has come when The Music Academy is celebrating its 100 years.

It is also significant that a veena player has been selected for the coveted honour after a gap of three decades.

Last year RK Shriramkumar was conferred the award.

Born and raised in a family of Carnatic musicians, Kumaresh, who is also married to violinist Kumaresh Rajagopalan, began learning the majestic Saraswati veena when her mother gave her a baby version of it.

While she learned and found her footing in it, the contemporary concert space seemed to be losing interest in the traditional instrument.

Kumaresh, through a slew of concerts, lecture-demonstrations and collaborations, spent considerable time in bringing the veena back to the spotlight, convincing the audience that veena, once proclaimed by the Indian government as a ‘dying instrument’, still had a lot of life, an expansive emotional landscape and music that, like all good music, could resonate with the audience of today.

She also remains the youngest veena player to be awarded an A Grade byAll India Radio.

“I am optimistic.

There are fewer people teaching the instrument now but many youngsters are still interested in learning it,” Kumaresh told this reporter in an earlier interview.

Kumaresh has also not just bound herself to the Carnatic world.

She has explored the commonalities between Hindustani and Carnatic music often, also collaborating with tabla giant Ustad Zakir Hussain and violinist Kala Ramnath, flautists Ronu Majumdar and Rakesh Chaurasia, and pianist Anil Srinivasan, among others.

Suanshu Khurana is an award-winning journalist and music critic currently serving as a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express.

She is best known for her nuanced writing on Indian culture, with a specific focus on classical music, cinema, and the arts.

Expertise & Focus Areas Khurana specializes in the intersection of culture and society.

Her beat involves deep-dive reporting on:
Indian Classical Music: She is regarded as a definitive voice in documenting the lineages (Gharanas) and evolution of Hindustani classical music.

Cinema & Theatre: Her critiques extend beyond reviews to analyze the socio-political narratives within Indian cinema and theater.

Cultural Heritage: She frequently profiles legendary artists and unearths stories about India’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

Professional Experience At The Indian Express, Khurana is responsible for curating and writing features for the Arts and Culture pages.

Her work is characterized by long-form journalism that offers intimate portraits of artists and rigorous analysis of cultural trends.

She has been instrumental in bringing the stories of both stalwarts and upcoming artistes to the forefront of mainstream media.

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