ARUNA SAYEERAM

Aruna Sayeeram is a Carnatic music vocalist. She learnt music from her mother Rajalakshmi Sethuraman and later from T. Brinda. She has done a Masters in Music. She has given concerts all across the world. She was an expert in the World Music conference in Germany. She is also an A-grade artist with the All India Radio.

BOMBAY JAYASHRI

Jayashri was born to N N Subramaniam and Seetha, who groomed her in Carnatic music in her initial years. Her initiation into music was under her father's guidance at the age of four. Later Jayashri learned under the tutelage of T R Balamani Ammal of Bombay. She was into concert performances in her teens. In 1989, she enrolled herself as a disciple of the legend Lalgudi G Jayaraman. Since 1989, she has been under the guidance and tutelage of the renowned violin maestro. She is also a student of veena, under G N Dhandapani Iyer. She along with T.M.Krishna feature in the first ever Carnatic concert movie, titled, Margazhi Raagam. The movie has received rave reviews from all quarters.

CHEMBAI BHAGAVATAR

Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar was an Indian Carnatic music singer from the state of Kerala. Usually known by his village name Chembai, or simply as Bhagavatar, he was born to Anantha Bhagavatar and Parvati Ammal in 1895. Chembai was noted for his powerful voice and majestic style of singing.

D.K.PATTAMMAL

Damal Krishnaswamy Pattammal is an eminent Carnatic musician and playback singer for film songs in many Indian languages. Pattammal and her contemporaries M. S. Subbulakshmi and M. L. Vasanthakumari were popularly referred to as the "female trinity of Carnatic Music. D.K. Pattammal has been appreciated all over the world by Carnatic music lovers. This trio initiated the entry of women into mainstream Carnatic Music.

G.N.BALASUBRAMANIAM

Balasubramaniam could produce fast gamakam laden sangathis with strength and weight and with wide imagination. But,in such a voice of his, running at so fast a speed the effects of Brighas, twists and turns would come in quick succession that he became an instant hit with both the lay audience as well as those initiated to the arts and science of carnatic music. He also composed several krithis and was famous for his fast brikhas and gamakams. He acted in films, including Bhama Vijayam and Sakunthala. In the latter, he appeared as Dushyantha, alongside the vocalist M.S. Subbulakshmi.

K.J.YESUDAS

Kattassery Joseph Yesudas is an Indian classical musician and a leading playback singer. His voice lends itself well to both Indian classical, devotional and popular songs. He has recorded more than 40,000 songs in many languages including Tamil,Hindi, Malayalam,Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, Gujarati, Oriya, Marathi, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tulu, Russian, Arabic, Latin and English through his long career.. He has been singing for most Indian languages except Assamese and Kashmiri. In his heyday, he was known as the Jim Reeves of South India. Fans term his voice as nothing short of "divine".

M.L.VASANTHAKUMARI

Madras Lalitangi Vasanthakumari is a legendary Carnatic musician and playback singer for film songs in many Indian languages. MLV and her contemporaries D. K. Pattammal and M. S. Subbulakshmi were popularly referred to as the "female trinity of Carnatic Music. A prime disciple of the legendary G. N. Balasubramaniam, she was the youngest among the established musicians of that era, and was the youngest awardee of the most prestigious award in Carnatic music, Sangita Kalanidhi.

M.S.SUBBULAKSHMI

Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi was a renowned Carnatic vocalist. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor.

MAHARAJAPURAM SANTHANAM

Maharajapuram Santhanam was one of the great Carnatic music vocalists of the 20th century. He was born in Sirunangur, a village in the state of Tamil Nadu. He followed the footsteps of his father Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer who was also a Carnatic singer.

BALAMURALI KRISHNA

Balamurali Krishna started his career when he was barely 14 years old, he composed Raganga-Ravali, a detailed work on the 72 Melakarta scheme. He mastered all the 72 melakarta ragas by the age 16 and had composed kritis in all of them by then. Poet composer and musicologist, Balamurali krishna has restored the trinity's composition to their original whole. he represents a new era in Carnatic music. Like the galaxy of giants preceding him, he has helped in the preservation of the musical heritage in his own way.

NEYVELI SANTHANA GOPALAN

Neyveli Santhana Gopalan is an acclaimed Carnatic vocalist, whose music is steeped in classicism while maintaining popular appeal. He has distinguished himself with numerous successful concerts worldwide, and is the recipient of many awards from music associations in India and overseas. He is known for his excellent styles of rendering the swaras.

NITHYASREE MAHADEVAN

Dr. Nithyasree Mahadevan, also previously referred to as S. Nithyashri, is an eminent Carnatic musician and playback singer for film songs in many Indian languages. Her paternal grandmother is the legendary Carnatic vocalist D. K. Pattammal, while her maternal grandfather is the legendary mridangam maestro, Palghat Mani Iyer. Her granduncle is the legendary Carnatic vocalist, D. K. Jayaraman. Nithyashree has performed in all major sabhas in India and has presented her concerts in many destinations around the world. She has received multiple awards and honours, and has released more than 100 commercial albums.

R.VEDAVALLI

R. Vedavalli was born in Mannargudi, Tamil Nadu, India to Shri Ramaswami Iyengar and Padmasani Ammal in 1935. Her talent for music was identified early on by Madurai Srirangam Iyengar, who brought the five year old a harmonium, and got her started on vocal lessons. The family moved to Madras in a few years time, and Vedavalli came under the tutelage of Mudicondan Venkatarama Iyer. From a very young age, Vedavalli won several awards in prestigious competitions including All India Radio's first prize for Classical Music and Light Classical Music, awarded by the President of India. In 2000, she received the Sangeetha Kalanidhi, which is considered the highest award in Carnatic music. She is one of the few women to have received this honor.

S.SOWMYA

S. Sowmya is a Carnatic music singer. She learnt under her father, and later under S. Ramanathan and T. Muktha. Sowmya, along with K. N. Shashikiran, founded Carnatica - an online institution dedicated to classical music & dance instruction, archival, talent search and other related activities to Carnatic music.She also co-authored the first comprehensive reference CD-ROM on Carnatic music.

SUDHA RAGHUNATHAN

Sudha was initially trained by her mother Choodamani since the age of nine. She continued training under Sri. B. V. Lakshmanan. Even as a student, Smt. Sudha Raghunathan received the Central Government Scholarship for Young Artistes for advanced training in Carnatic music. Sudha came under the tutelage of the illustrious Padmabhushan Sangeetha Kalanidhi, Dr. M.L Vasantha Kumari in 1977, who encouraged Sudha to pursue music as a career. Sudha is one of Dr. M. L. Vasanthakumari's prominent successors.

T.M.KRISHNA

T.M. Krishna (born 1976) is one of the leading Carnatic music vocalists of today. Hailing from a family of music connoisseurs, he was exposed to the south Indian classical music at an early age. His first concert was at the Spirit of Youth series organized by the Music Academy, Chennai (India). Since then, he has travelled widely in India and abroad and won applause from his listeners. He has received numerous awards and titles from many leading organizations, notable amongst which are the Young Achievers Award by India Today and the Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar Award by the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi. He has released many music albums from leading audio companies like Magna sound, HMV, Inreco, Amudham (USA) and Charsur.

TIGER VARDACHRIAR

Tiger Varadachariar hailed from a musical family of unique distinction. His father Ramanujachariar was a musical discourser, brother K.V. Srinivasa Ayyangar was a renowned musicologist while another brother K.V.Krishnamachariar was a veena player. In fact, Tiger used to say that he learnt much from the singing of his sister. Varadachariar was born on August 1, 1876 at Kolathur. Varadachariar's receptive ears and musical instincts drew inspiration and knowledge from street dramas, bhajans and even from occasional contacts such as with Fiddle Ramachandrayyar. He was big, burly and unprepossessing. This exterior housed a genial and lovable man, a brilliant musicologist, a musical artiste and an acknowledged teacher of renown.

P.UNNIKRISHNAN

Unnikrishnan was born to K.Radhakrishnan and Dr.Harini Radhakrishnan, in Kerala. He went to Asan Memorial Senior Secondary School, Chennai, in 1983. He graduated from Vivekananda College, Chennai, and received his B.Com degree from the Madras University. He earned a General Law and Post Graduate Diploma in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations. He worked as an executive in Parrys Confectionery Ltd. from 1991-94 and left to become a professional singer.

K.N. SHASHIKIRAN

Born into a family of renowned musicians on the 10^th of September, Shashikiran soon made his mark in the family. His grandfather, Gottuvadyam Narayana Iyengar was a legend in his times, not to mention his father 'Chitravina' Narasimhan, a musician with a vision and mission and brother 'Chitravina' Ravikiran, and an internationally acclaimed genius. His father discovered Shashikirans's talents when he was a mere toddler and nurtured it with great care. Thus, at two, he stormed the music world as a child prodigy who could identify Ragas (melodies), demonstrate complicated Talas (rhythms) and answer other technical questions pertaining to Carnatic music. He has also had the privilege of honing his musical skills under stalwarts like T Brinda, T Vishwanathan and K S Krishnamurthy.

T. MUKTA & T. BRINDA

Thanjavur Muktha also spelt Mukta (1914-2007) was one of the foremost representatives of the Veena Dhanammal school of Carnatic Music. She along with her elder sister T. Brinda formed one of the first women duo singers.

Muktha had much of her initial training from her mother Kamakshi. This training was in the Veena Dhanammal style, a style of Carnatic Music known for its unhurried, alluring movements, as also for its use of intricate gamakas (graces) in the handling of ragas (modes). Additionally, Muktha (along with Brinda) trained for a substantial length of time under Kanchipuram Naina Pillai, whose style of music was marked by agility and robustness in laya (rhythm). After her training under Naina Pillai, Muktha learnt from her aunt Lakshmiratnam. The legendary Veena Dhanammal, who was Muktha's grandmother, herself taught her some compositions. She gave her first performance at the age of eight. She was the last disciple of Veena Dhanammal and her last concert was in Cleveland in 2003. Muktha was a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1973.