T. Viswanathan
Encyclopedia
Tanjore Viswanathan was a Carnatic music
ian specializing in the Carnatic flute and voice. His brother was the mridangam player T. Ranganathan
(1925–1987).
He first came to the United States in 1958 on a Fulbright
fellowship, studying ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los Angeles
from 1958 to 1960, and later teaching there. He was Head of the Department of Music at the University of Madras from 1961 to 1965. He also taught at California Institute of the Arts
. Following the earning of his Ph.D. from Wesleyan University
in 1975, he taught at that university for many years. Among his best known students were Anuradha Sriram
, T.R. Moorthy, Jon B. Higgins
, Douglas Knight and David Nelson.
Viswanathan and Ranganathan recorded the music for the Satyajit Ray
documentary film Bala
(1976), about their sister, the bharatanatyam
dancer Balasaraswati
.
In 1988, Viswanathan was awarded the title Sangeetha Kalanidhi
by the Music Academy, Madras. In 1992 he became the first Indian musician to be awarded a National Heritage Fellowship
by the National Endowment for the Arts
, of the government of the United States.
He died of a heart attack on September 10, 2002.
In 2004, Oxford University Press USA published a book co-authored by T. Viswanathan and Matthew Harp Allen, entitled Music in South India: The Karnatak Concert Tradition and Beyond, from the series Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture.
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
ian specializing in the Carnatic flute and voice. His brother was the mridangam player T. Ranganathan
T. Ranganathan
Tanjore Ranganathan was a Carnatic musician specializing in percussion instruments, particularly the mridangam....
(1925–1987).
He first came to the United States in 1958 on a Fulbright
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
fellowship, studying ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
from 1958 to 1960, and later teaching there. He was Head of the Department of Music at the University of Madras from 1961 to 1965. He also taught at California Institute of the Arts
California Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, in Los Angeles County, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the...
. Following the earning of his Ph.D. from Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
in 1975, he taught at that university for many years. Among his best known students were Anuradha Sriram
Anuradha Sriram
Anuradha Sriram is an Indian carnatic and playback singer who hails from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. She has sung in many Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi films.- Personal life :...
, T.R. Moorthy, Jon B. Higgins
Jon B. Higgins
Jon Borthwick Higgins , also known in India as Higgins Bhagavatar, was an American musician, scholar, and teacher known principally for his rare skill as a non-Indian in the field of Carnatic music...
, Douglas Knight and David Nelson.
Viswanathan and Ranganathan recorded the music for the Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...
documentary film Bala
Bala (film)
Bala is a 1976 documentary film, by Satyajit Ray, about the Bharatanatyam dancer Balasaraswati. The film's music was recorded by Balasaraswati's brothers, T. Viswanathan and T. Ranganathan.-External links:*...
(1976), about their sister, the bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam
Bharata Natyam or Chadhir Attam, is a classical dance form from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, practiced predominantly in modern times by women. The dance is usually accompanied by classical Carnatic music...
dancer Balasaraswati
Balasaraswati
Balasaraswati was a celebrated Indian dancer, and her rendering of Bharatanatyam, a classical dance style, made this style of dancing of south India well known in different parts of India, as also many parts of the world....
.
In 1988, Viswanathan was awarded the title Sangeetha Kalanidhi
Sangeetha Kalanidhi
Sangeetha Kalanidhi or Sangita Kalanidhi is the title awarded yearly to an expert Carnatic Musician by the Madras Music Academy. This honour is considered one of the highest awards in Carnatic music.-----Sangeetha Kalanidhis:-External links:*...
by the Music Academy, Madras. In 1992 he became the first Indian musician to be awarded a National Heritage Fellowship
National Heritage Fellowship
The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States' highest honor in the folk and traditional arts...
by the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
, of the government of the United States.
He died of a heart attack on September 10, 2002.
In 2004, Oxford University Press USA published a book co-authored by T. Viswanathan and Matthew Harp Allen, entitled Music in South India: The Karnatak Concert Tradition and Beyond, from the series Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture.
External links
- T Viswanathan page at MusicalNirvana.com site
- T. Viswanathan page from David Nelson site
- T. Viswanathan tribute from Afropop Worldwide site
- T. Viswanathan: In Memoriam from Sruti Magazine, Chennai, India