About Lakshminarayana Global Centre of Excellence
About Prof. V. Lakshminarayana
The centre was established in the name of Prof. V. Lakshminarayana, the father and guru of Dr. L. Subramaniam. Professor V.Lakshminarayana was a great vocalist, violinist, composer, musicologist, and most importantly, a teacher. V. Lakshminarayana was a visionary in the field of Indian music. He was responsible for many of the innovations which are now in common practice. At the time when the Indian violin was an accompanying instrument, not only did he aspire to elevate to the position of a solo instrument.
Professor V. Lakshminarayana introduced various fingering and bowing techniques, such as using four fingers of the left-hand allowing one to play and pluck the strings simultaneously. The vigorous right-hand techniques, which he introduced and taught, intrigued some of the greatest violinists like Lord Yehudi Menuhin and Stephane Grappelli when they heard Dr. L Subramaniam, his son. He was the first person to play varnams in five speeds, thus earning him the nickname of ‘Panchanadai’ Lakshminarayana.
In light of his outstanding contribution as a musician, musicologist, teacher, and
composer, the Government of India released a commemorative stamp in his honour,
and bearing his face, in 2004. The State Governments of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
also released first day covers in his honour. There is also a street in Alleppey, Kerala named after this great musical genius.
Founder Chairman
Dr. L. Subramaniam
India's foremost violinist and creator of Global Fusion, Padma Bhushan Dr. L. Subramaniam has performed/recorded Carnatic classical music, Western classical music, global fusion, and composed for and conducted orchestras, scored for films, and collaborated with some of the greatest musicians from different genres. He completed his MBBS from Madras Medical College and MFA from California Institute for the Arts. In addition to being awarded with many honorary doctorates for his contribution in the field of music, he received a Ph.D. for his thesis on Raga Harmony.
His father and guru, Prof. V Lakshminarayana was the one responsible for making the Indian violin a solo instrument. Dr. Subramaniam has been taking forward the Carnatic tradition from his father and guiding students from the next generation. In 1991 he started the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival (LGMF), which is one of the biggest global music festivals in Asia. In 2007, he started the the Subramaniam Academy of Performing Arts (SaPa), a premier institute for musical education, which is taking music to thousands of school children around India. More recently, he started the Lakshminarayana Global Centre of Excellence (LGCE) with his wife Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam with a view to impart holistic music education to graduates with a strong foundation in music performance.
He has written orchestral compositions that have been performed and recorded with major symphony orchestras from around the world. Some of his works have been published by Schott Music, Germany, and Trinity College, London. He co-wrote Euphony with his late wife Viji Subramaniam (later published under the title 'Indian Classical Music') to introduce Indian classical music to beginners. Earlier this year, he wrote 'Mastering Varnams' -- a handbook for students of Indian and Western classical music.
“L. Subramaniam is the best this listener has heard…” - THE NEW YORK TIMES
“The God of Indian Violin” - TIMES OF INDIA, Mumbai
“Arguably the greatest violinist in the history of Indian music” - Chicago World Music Festival
“I find nothing more inspiring than the music-making of my very great colleague Subramaniam. Each time I listen to him, I am carried away in wonderment...” - Lord Yehudi Menuhin.
Founder Co-Chairman
Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam
One of the favorites of the critics and the masses, Kavita’s singing career reads like a fairy tale. Her exquisite and mellifluous voice, wide range and, versatility to sing different styles and types of songs has put her in a unique place amongst singers and she has been quoted as a “melody queen” by leading critics and connoisseurs alike.
Kavita is a very rare personality who has served as a bridge from the older film singers like Md. Rafi, Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar, right up to the present-day singers. Her fantastic range and interpretation has led to collaborations with diverse music directors like Lakshmikant-Pyarelal, R.D. Burman, Naushad, Khayyam, OP Nayyar, A.R. Rahman to name a few. Kavita’s collaborations have been with artists for over three generations.
Kavita has performed and recorded as a soloist, compositions specifically written for her, with major symphony orchestras which include the London Symphony Orchestra & Liepajas Symphony Orchestra, amongst others.
She has also collaborated and performed with jazz legends such as Al-Jarreau, George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Hubert Laws, Larry Coryell, and others.
Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam has enthralled and dazzled audiences from around the world with her stage performances, recordings and playback singing for the past 50 years... singing more than 25,000 songs. She is a true representative of national integration.
Kavita was honoured with the prestigious Padmashri by the Government of India in 2005 & has also won four filmfare awards from her Bollywood singing. Kavita is also the Artistic Director of the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival.