The Music Sabhas of Mysuru have come together to felicitate senior musician, musicologist and composer Prof. R. Visweswaran on his receiving three major awards in the month of February and March 2024 — The prestigious ‘Sangeet Ratna’ by the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi, ‘Sangeetha Shastra Ratna Mysore K. Vasudevachar Award of Excellence’ conferred on Mar. 25 and ‘Ganayogi Bhairavi Kempegowda Prashasti’ by The Ganayogi Bhairavi Kempegowda Sangeeta Sabha, Bengaluru, conferred on Mar. 15.

The felicitation ceremony will be held at Ganabharathi’s Ramagovinda Kalavedike in Kuvempunagar, Mysuru, on Mar. 28 at 6 pm. The fete is jointly organised by all the Sabhas of the city to honour the artiste. Felicitation will be followed by a veena recital by Prof. R. Visweswaran with Vid. H.L. Shivashankar Swamy on mridanga and Vid. Sharat Kaushik on ghata.

Profile of the artiste

Prof. R. Visweswaran (RV) was born in 1931 as the last son of Varalakshamma and B. Ramayya. He has served the University of Mysore as Professor and Head of Music for three decades. Prof. RV is the senior most veena virtuoso of India, graded by the Nation and its electronic media as Top Grade Artiste. His music and academic erudition are featured in innumerable national programmes of music and in many prestigious overseas channels. Prof. Visweswaran is a nonagenarian vainika. A musician with  traditional classicism for more than eight decades, he is a vocalist and a vainika without a human guru; A world renowned Vainika, Vocalist, Musicologist, Composer, Thinker, Speaker, Teacher and author of invaluable books and articles.

Prof. RV’s concerts have enthralled his audience in numerous prestigious International Music Festivals in various countries. Prof. Visweswaran has diligently taken his traditional musical beliefs at International Music Festivals and Workshops.

Prof. RV has created history by his singular, highly specialised technique of playing on veena, full aalaapana of ragas, totally devoid of the use of the right hand fingers. Many disciples of many nationalities who have distinguished themselves in the field of music carry Prof. Visweswaran’s legacy forward.

Prof. RV is a musical composer with over a hundred and fifty compositions in Sanskrit, Telugu and Kannada to his credit, which are profoundly acclaimed. He has created new ragas too.

Among the countless honours and felicitations that Prof. RV has received the must mention ones are Hon. Doctorate by KSGH Music and Performing Arts University, Mysuru, in 2015, ‘Sangeetha Choodamani’ award bestowed by Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai, in 2000, T. Chowdiah National Award by the State Government of Karnataka in 2014, Bharata Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Award in 2014, ‘Sangeetha Sarvabhouma’ awarded by Sri Vyasaraja Dharma Samsthanam, Sosale, in 1981, ‘Rajya Sangeetha Vidwan in 2002 and  Rajyotsava Award in 2005. Musicians, music teachers, students, music lovers and connoisseurs are welcome to attend the event.

—Dr. Padmavathi Narasimhan