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

1. 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.
    
2. 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.
    
3. Awarded the “Kannada Rajyothsava Award” sponsored by Sri. B. Narayanakumar in the year 1988.
    
4. 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.
    
5. “Shanthala Prashasthi” was awarded at Magadi in March 1995.  He was honored “Achala Prashasthi” at Badami in April 1995.
    
6. Gifted Bharathanatya exponent Guru C. Radha Krishna has choreographed various “Dance Dramas” like “Shanthala”.