Doctorate Awardees
On first Annual convocation of the university the honourary doctorate were awarded for the following music and performing arts related eminents.
Dr. R. Visweswaran
Musician, Musicologist, Composer and Orator
He is an uncompromising purist in expounding the traditional and artistic values of Karnatak Music. He is known for his innovative and explorative approach to creation and expression in music. Has created history by his singular, highly specialized technique of playing on veena, full alaapana of ragas, totally devoid of the use of the right hand fingers.
He is a musical composer with over a hundred and fifty compositions in Sanskrit, Telugu and Kannada to his credit, which are professionally acclaimed.
Has enthralled his audiences in several International music conferences and festivals in India and London, Aberdeen, Durham, Edinburgh, Dublin, Belfast, UAE, Singapore and Malaysia and on many invitations from British Universities, with the honour of Government of India deputation as the leader of the team of Indian musicians.
He is the only personality in the Country with the combination of a Vainika – Vocalist – Musicologist – Thinker - Speaker – Author of invaluable books and articles.
He is the only Musician from Karnataka to receive the title Sangita Chudamani a national level award from Chennai, Karnataka Ganakala Parishat awarded him with the title Ganakala Bhushana, the State Government conferred on him the title Rajya Sangita Vidwan. Apart from this he was honoured by Vyasarajamutt seer the Sangeetha Sarvabhowma, Nagarathnamma memorial Thyagaraja award, Percussive Art Centre’s prestigious Palani Subramanya Pillai Award, Rajyotsava award from State Government, Gandharva Vidyanidhi during Ragashree music conference, Lalita Kala Ratna, Gayaka Gandharva from Sriramulu Telugu Vishwavidyalaya of Hyderabad, Pandith Bhimsen Joshi Award from Swadeshi Vignana Andolana - Karnataka and many more are to his credit.
A Grade Artist of All India Radio and Television, His programmes are broadcasted all over the global even through channels like BBC etc.,
Pt. Indudhar Nirodi
He was initiated into Music at a young age by his father, Shri Nirody Sunder Rao and had the preliminary lessons in Music from Gawai Shri Pitre Ramarao at Udupi. Later, on migration to Mumbai in 1951, he received training from Pandit Gurudatt Heblekar in Mumbai. At the same time he also came under the tutelage of Stalwarts in Hindusthani Classical Music. Acharya SCR Bhat, Acharya KG Ginde, Pandit Dinkar Kaikini and Pandit Chidanand Nagarkar. He received intensive training under them for well over two decades.
It has been his good fortune that being one of the senior - most disciples of his Mentors, he had the opportunity of giving vocal accompaniment to his Gurus in their Concerts on most of the occasions and also had a very close association with them all those years. This has helped him to assimilate and imbibe some of the finest aspects of Raagadari Sangeet in his Music. Nirody is a stickler to the tradition. However, he improvises his music with great imagination giving importance to the aesthetic contents to the Bandishes. His renderings are marked by transparent sincerity, embodied with appropriate Bolalaps, Behelaves, rhythmic Upazas and clear – cut Taans. He has performed at various centers in the country and received laudable appreciation from the connoisseurs. He has also given Lecture - Demonstrations on various aspects of Hindustani Classical Music at several Institutions in Karnataka. He is also a visiting professor with Karnataka University, Dharwad and Karnataka State Dr. Gangubai Hangal Music and Performing Arts University, Mysuru.
In the year 1955, at his age of 20, he won the FIRST prize in the All India Music competition conducted by the All India Radio and received the coveted prize at the hands of then the President of India. Dr. Babu Rajendra Prasad. He was conferred the award “Gaurava Prashathi” by the Karnataka Sangeeth Nrutya Academy, Government of Karnataka in the year 2005 and Karnataka State Sangeeth Vidwan Purskar for the year 2014 by the Government of Karnataka in appreciation of the valuable contribution made by him in the field of Music. He also received the Mysore District Rajostava Prashasthi of Government of Karnataka for the year 2008. Apart from these, he has been honored by several other prestigious Institutions e.g., Sawai Gandharva Vishwastha Samsthe, Kundgol, Gaana Bharati, Saptaswar Balaga, Swara Sankula, Sangeet Kalakar Mandali, Bangaluru and others. He was also conferred the title of Sangeetha Kala Tapaswi by Sri Purandara Tyagarajara Matthu Vaggeyakarara Aradhanosthava Samiti, Mysuru in 2003. He is also being awarded the Sangeet Nataka Akademi Award – 2014 by the President of India Dr. Pranab Mukherjee on 23.10.2015.
Sri C. Radha Krishna
Guru Bharathakalamani C. Radhakrishna is a reputed great exponent of pure Classical Dance Bharathanatya. He is the disciple of Late Nattuvanar Yajaman Kolar Kittanna, who was a great Guru of Bharathanatyam in the traditional famous Mysore and Kolar style of Dancing during the reign of the great kind of Mysore Sri. ChamarajaWodeyar a century ago. With his vast experience of more than 50 years in this field of dancing Guru Radhakrishna has established himself as the greatest promoter of Yajaman Kolar Kittanna’s Bharathanatya tradition and has acknowledged Authority in the Art maintaining a special style of his own. He is the founder of the famous institution. “Chittaranjani Kalakshetra” (established in 1952) of Bangalore and also a popular Guru of Tamil Sangam, a reputed institution. Having moulded and guided thousands of students in his career, he has become a famous and popular Guru.
He has served as the member of “Sangeetha Nritya Academy” and as the Chairman of the Board of Dance Examiners. He has presented innumerable programmes in dance in various Countries, out of which first “Kannada Rajyothsava Celebrations” at Delhi. Republic Day Celebrations and Vishwa Kannada Sammelan Programmes, Natyanjali Festival at Chidambaram are worth to be mentioned Doordarshan programmes given by him have been highly appreciated. As a Dance Director for the films, Sri G.V. Iyer’s Hamsa Geetha, Kaveri and Sangharsha, his creativity has been fully utilized.
In spite of this immense vast experience in creating new original outstanding works in the field of Dance, his simple and sincerity, full dedication to the Art, has made him one of the most popular personalities in the field of Bharathanatya.
AWARDS
- He has been conferred with title “Bharatakalamani” by Madras Citizen Felicitation Committee by Sri K.S. Ramaswamy Shantagal in 1959, conferred with the title “Natya Vallanar” at Madurai in the year1968.
- To crown it all he was awarded “State Sangeetha Nritya Academy Award” and conferred with the title “Karnataka Kala Thilaka” by the State Government of Karnataka Academy in the year 1983-84.
- Awarded the “Kannada Rajyothsava Award” sponsored by Sri. B. Narayanakumar in the year 1988.
- The state Award “Unnatha Karnataka Rajyothsava Prashasthi” was conferred on him in 1989 by Government of Karnataka the reputed Tamil Sangam, Bangalore, conferred him with the title “Natya Kalamani” in the year 1990.
- “Shanthala Prashasthi” was awarded at Magadi in March 1995. He was honored “Achala Prashasthi” at Badami in April 1995.
- Gifted Bharathanatya exponent Guru C. Radha Krishna has choreographed various “Dance Dramas” like “Shanthala”.