By Dr. Padmavathi Narasimhan

Mysuru, the cultural capital of Karnataka is resonant with the music of great maestros. Sri Prasanna Vidya Ganapathi Mandali Charitable (SPVGMC) Trust has been playing a crucial role in preserving the continuity of this resonance. It is shouldering the responsibility of keeping classical music alive with all its grandeur. It has been organising music concerts during the Ganesha Festival since 57 years. The concerts are organised well in advance each year by Himamshu, grandson of the violin maestro T. Chowdiah.

All the maestros of Karnatak music right from Chembai, T.N. Krishnan, K.V. Narayana Swamy, S. Ramanathan, T.R. Mahalingam, Lalgudi Jayaraman, Paroor Gopalakrishnan, D.K. Jayaraman, T.N. Sheshagopalan, Madhurai Mani Iyer, R.K. Srikantan, Palghat Raghu and youngsters like T.M. Krishna, Chitraveena N. Ravikiran and Sanjay Subramanyam and Hindustani maestros like N. Rajam, Hariprasad Chowrasia, Gangubai Hangal and Rajeev Taranath, have performed here. 

 The Trust celebrates the centenary of Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar and S. Rajam this year. The concert series is from Sept.2 to 14 at 6.45 pm every day. From Sept.4 to 13, prior to the concert a ‘Kavya Vaachana’ from Kumaravyasa Bharata’s Bheeshma Parva is also organised for literature lovers.

Sept.2 (6.45 pm):  Saxophone Concert by Harish Pandav accompanied by Achyuta Rao on violin, A. Radhesh on mridanga and S. Manjunath on ghata.

Sept.3 (6 pm): Formal inauguration. City Police Commissioner K.T. Balakrishna will be the chief guest. Industrialist M. Jagannath Shenoi will preside; 6.45 pm: Trichur Brothers — Krishna Mohan and Ramkumar Mohan — will render a vocal concert with Gokul Alankode on violin, Trichur R. Mohan (father of the vocalists) on mridanga and Kovai Suresh on ghata.

Sept.4 (5.30 pm): ‘Bheeshma Senadhipatya’ (Part-1) Kavya  Vaachana by Ganesha Udupa and Vyakhyana by Dr. Jyothi Shankar; 6.45 pm: Nadaswara Concert by Chinnamanur A. Vijay Karthikeyan, with Idumbavanam V. Prakash Ilayaraja on Nadaswara support and double tavil by Nangur Dr. K.S.K. Manikandan and Idumbavanam K. Manikandan.

Sept.5 (5.30 pm): ‘Bheeshma Senadhipatya’ (Part-2) Kavya Vaachana by Padmalatha Nagesh and Vyakhyana by K.P. Manjunath; 6.45 pm: Vijay Siva from Chennai will render a vocal recital accompanied by Trivandrum Sampath on violin, Manoj Siva on mridanga and G.S. Ramanujam on ghata.

Sept.6 (5.30 pm): ‘Subhattarannu Dharmaraya Olisikondaddu’ Kavya Vaachana by Suma Prasad from Bengaluru and Vyakhyana by Sudha Ratna from Bengaluru; 6.45 pm: Master Pradyumna Uday Karpur will render a tabla recital; 7.15 pm: Pt. Rajeev Taranath will present a Sarod Concert.

Sept.7 (5.30 pm): ‘Arjunana Vishada’ (Part-1) Kavya Vaachana by Vidya Shankar from Mandya and Vyakhyana by Dr. N.K. Ramasheshan from Mysuru; 6.45 pm: Bangalore Brothers — S. Ashok and M.B. Hariharan — will give a vocal duet concert with Matthur Srinidhi on violin, H.S. Sudheendra on mridanga and Phaneendra Bhaskar on ghata.

Sept.8 (9 am): Satyanarayana Puja; 5.30 pm: ‘Arjunana Vishada’ (Part-2) Kavya Vaachana by Shubha Raghavendra, Mysuru and Vyakhyana by Dr. G.S. Manjunath, Hassan; 6.45 pm: Couple Kumaresh and Jayanthi Kumaresh will give a violin-veena concert with Ramana Murthy on mridanga and Guruprasanna on kanjira.

Sept.9 (5.30 pm): ‘Arjunana Vishada’ (Part-3) Kavya Vaachana by Bhagyalakshmi from Mandya and Vyakhyana by A. Niranjana, Mysuru; 6.45 pm: T.V. Shankaranarayana will present a vocal concert with Nagai Sriram on violin,Tumkur Ravishankar on mridanga and Sharat Kaushik on ghata.

Sept.10 (5.30pm): ‘Bheeshma Bhakti’ (Part-1) Kavya Vaachana by Mahima Kashyap from Chennarayapatna and Vyakhyana by C.N. Subbanna; 6.45 pm: Bombay Jayashree Ramanath will give a vocal recital accompanied by B.U. Ganesh Prasad on violin, Delhi Sairam on mridanga and Giridhara Udupa on ghata.

Sept.11 (5.30 pm): ‘Bheeshma Bhakti’ (Part-2) Kavya Vaachana by Mattur Kumaraswamy and Vyakhyana by Narayana Desai; 6.45 pm: Sandeep Narayan will present a vocal recital with B.U. Ganesh Prasad on violin, Dr. Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman on mridanga and Giridhara Udupa on ghata.

Sept.12 (5.30 pm): ‘Bheeshmarinda Shastra Sanyasa Suchane mattu Bheeshmarjunara Sangrama’ Kavya Vaachana by Annapoorna Nagendra and Vyakhyana by Srinivasa Phani; 6.45 pm: Saketaraman will render a vocal recital accompanied by B.U. Ganesh Prasad on violin, Dr. Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman on mridanga and Purushottam on kanjira.

Sept.13 (5.30 pm): ‘Bheeshmara Shara Shayana’ Kavya Vaachana by Dr. Jyothi Shankar and Vyakhyana by Achyuta Avadhani, Mattur; 6.45 pm: T.M. Krishna’s vocal concert accompanied by Akkarai Subhalakshmi on violin,  N.C. Bharadwaj on mridanga and Purushottam on kanjira.

Sept.14 (8.30 am): Lalitha Sahasranama Homa by Challakere Brothers in the presence of Pejawar Seer Sri Vishwesha Theertha Swamiji; 1 pm: Purnahuti; 6.45 pm: Heramba and Hemantha will give a flute duet with Nagai Sriram on violin, Akshay Anand on mridanga and S.  Manjunath on ghata.