Prashant Iyengar
Born (1973-01-12) 12 January 1973
India
OriginKarnataka, India
GenresCarnatic music
Occupation(s)Musician, instrumentalist, veena
Instrument(s)Veena
Websitewww.theveena.com

Prashanth Iyengar (born 12 January 1973) is a classical musician and veena exponent from India, in the Carnatic Music genre. He is a performer, composer and teacher. He is the first composer from Karnataka to have composed Varnams in all the '72 Melakarta Ragas.[1] He holds the Limca national record for his marathon veena concert spanning 24 hours at Srirangapatna Temple in the year 2011.[2]

Early days and personal life

Prashanth's mother Vid. Padmasini Narasimhachar was his first veena guru who followed the Mysore Veena Subbanna tradition.[3] At the age of seven, he could play keertanas like Endaro Mahanubahulu.[1] He later studied under Vid. R. K. Suryanarayana. He has a bachelor's degree in Pharmacy and a Diploma in Computer Engineering.[1]

Career

He worked as the in-charge of the music department in the Directorate of Textbooks, Government of Karnataka. He later went on to become a full-time musician.[4]

His style is known for its rich gamakas along with a rendition that brings out the purity and clarity of notes.[5][6]

He holds the Limca national record for the rendition of a marathon veena concert spanning 24 hours at the Srirangapatna Temple in the year 2011.[2] He was accompanied by Vid. Ravishankar Sharma (Mridangam), Vid. K S Krishnaprasad (Ghatam) and Vid. D V Prasanna Kumar (Kanjira, Morsing and rhythm pad).[7]

Compositions

Prashanth is a prolific composer who has composed 90 varnas that include the 72 of them in each of the melakarta ragas.[1] He is the first composer from Karnataka to have composed Varnams in all the 72 Melakarta Ragas and second youngest after Dr M. Balamuralikrishna to compose.[4] He has also composed 20 kritis, 10 devaranamas and five thillanas.[1]

Other contributions

Prashanth has authored a book "Varna Lakshana Ranjani" which has the 72-mela varnas and 72 Geethes. The book is published in Kannada, English and Hindi and is hand written by his first guru and mother Vid. Padmasini Narasimhachar.[1]

He started the Sree Rama Centre of Performing Arts for teaching students music appreciation, the art of the veena and vocal renditions.[2]

Awards & felicitations

  • Limca national record marathon veena concert spanning 24 hours at Srirangapatna Temple (2011).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Govind, Ranjani (17 April 2014). "The food of life". The Hindu. Bangalore. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 R, Anusha (20 April 2010). "24-hour veena marathon to enter Limca Records". Bangalore. DNA. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  3. ↑ "Thyagaraja Festival from Today". Kochi. The New Indian Express. 18 February 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Madokaram Prashanth Iyengar". Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  5. ↑ Ramkumar, Madhavi (21 September 2012). "Deft evocativeness". The Hindu. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  6. ↑ Bal, Harish (27 February 2014). "Paens to Thyagaraja". The Hindu. Thiruvananthapuram. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  7. ↑ "Marathon veena concert on April 21". Deccan Herald. Bangalore. 13 April 2010. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
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