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Sangeeta Kalanidhis

The title of Sangita Kalanidhi is awarded yearly to an expert Carnatic musician. It is among the highest honors a Carnatic musician can receive. However, like the Nobel Prize, there are many who deserved it and never got it, though the reverse may not be true. It is also not the only award that musicians can receive - honors like Padmabhushan, Nada Brahmam (Narada Gana Sabha), Isai Peroli (Kartik Fine Arts), Sangita Kala Shikhamani (Indian Fine Arts), Sangita Kala Nipuna (Mylapore Fine Arts), Sangita Kala Sarathy (Parthasarathy Swami Sabha), Isai Perarignar (Tamil Isai Sangam), Sangita Kala Rathna (RR Sabha), Sangeetha Jothi (Kapali Fine Arts)

Before 1942, there was no Sangitha Kalanidhi - only president of the annual conference at the Music Academy in Madras (those are listed below). There were 3 presidents the first year, and T.S. Sabesa Iyer became president again in 1934. In 1930, there were two presidents. Technically, Mazhavarayanendal Subbarama Bhagavatar received the award for the first time in 1942 but the Academy decided all the previous presidents would also be considered awardees from then on (3 of the previous presidents were already deceased). The award is given by election, though earlier it was an electoral college.

Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer asked the Academy to give it to his Guru, Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer, before he did. Alathur Subbu Iyer made the Academy promise his partner Seenu Iyer would receive the award the next year. As for instruments, many violinists but only a few mridangam artists, a few nadaswaram artists, a few vainikas, and a few flautists have received the award, and no ghatam, morsing, or kanjira artists have. ML Vasantakumari is the youngest woman to get the award at 49.

We will add each year's recipient as time goes by! Send us your comments.


    1929 T. V. Subba Rao, T. S. Sabesha Iyer and M. S. Ramaswamy Iyer
    1930 Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar and T. V. Subba Rao
    1931 Pazhamaneri Swaminatha Iyer
    1932 Tiger Varadachariar
    1933 K. Ponnayya Pillai
    1934 T. S. Sabesha Iyer
    1935 Mysore K. Vasudevacharya
    1936 Umayalapuram Swaminatha Iyer
    1937 Chidambara Bhagavatar
    1938 Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar
    1939 Musiri Subramania Iyer
    1940 Kallidaikurichi Vedanta Bhagavatar
    1941 Professor Venkataswami Naidu
    1942 Mazhavarayanendal Subbarama Bhagavatar
    1943 Palladam Sanjiva Rao - flute
    1944 T. L. Venkatarama Iyer
    1945 Maharajapuram Vishwanatha Iyer
    1946 no award - birth centenary of Tyagaraja
    1947 Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer
    1948 Rajamanickam Pillai
    1949 Mudicondan Venkatrama Iyer
    1950 Karur Chinnaswamy Iyer
    1951 Chembai Vaidhyanatha Bhagavatar
    1952 Karaikudi Sambasiva Iyer
    1953 Tirupampuram N. Swaminatha Pillai - flute
    1954 Chittur Subramanya Pillai
    1955 Marungapuri Gopalakrishna Iyer
    1956 Tiruvizhimizhalai Subramanya Pillai - nadaswaram
    1957 T. Chowdiah
    1958 G. N. Balasubramaniam - vocal
    1959 Madurai Mani Iyer - vocal
    1960 T. K. Jayarama Iyer - violin
    1961 Tiruvidamarudur Veerusami Pillai - nadaswaram
    1962 K. Papa Venkataramiah
    1963 Budulur Krishnamurthi Sastrigal
    1964 Alathur Sivasubramanya Iyer
    1965 Alathur srinivasa Iyer
    1966 T. S. (Palghat) Mani Iyer - mridangam
    1967 no award
    1968 M. S. Subbulakshmi - vocal
    1969 Madurai Srirangam Iyer
    1970 D. K. Pattammal - vocal
    1971 Papanasam Sivan (age 81) - composer
    1972 Professor P. Sambamoorthy - musicologist
    1973 T. Balasaraswati - bharatanatyam
    1974 R. Anantakrishna Sarma (age 81)
    1975 no award - bi-centenary of Dikshitar
    1976 T. Brinda - vocal
    1977 M. L. Vasanthakumari - vocal
    1978 M. Balamurali Krishna - vocal
    1979 K. S. Narayanaswamy - veena
    1980 T. N. Krishnan
    1981 T. M. Thiyagarajan
    1982 Embar S. Vijayaraghavachariar
    1983 Dr. S. Pinakapani
    1984 Mysore V. Doreswamy Iyengar
    1985 Dr. S. Ramanathan
    1986 K. V. Narayanaswamy
    1987 B. Rajam Iyer
    1988 Prof. T. Viswanathan - flute
    1989 Maharajapuram V. Santhanam
    1990 D. K. Jayaraman - vocal
    1991 Nedunuri Krishnamurthy
    1992 Thanjai K. P. Sivanandam
    1993 Mani Krishnaswami - vocal
    1994 T. K. Murthy - mridangam
    1995 R. K. Srikantan
    1996 Dr. N. Ramani - flute
    1997 M. S. Gopalakrishnan - violin
    1998 Sheik Chinna Moula - nadaswaram
    1999 T. K. Govinda Rao - vocal
    2000 R. Vedavalli - vocal
    2001 Umayalpuram K Shivaraman - mridangam
    2002 Sikkil Sisters (Neela & Kunjumani) - flute
    2003 T. V. Shankaranarayanan - vocal
    2004 Vellore G. Ramabhadran - mridangam
    2005 M. Chandrasekharan - violin
    2006 Madurai T. N. Seshagopalan - vocal


Read Sangeetham's article on Sangitha Kalanidhis.

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updated on 03/20/2009