Mysuru: Ganabharathi has organised a vocal concert by Vid. S. Shankar on May 12 at 6 pm at Veene Seshanna Bhavan in Kuvempunagar. He will be accompanied by Vid. N. Karthik on violin, Vid. Tumkur B. Ravishankar on mridanga and Vid. Manjunath on ghata.

Profile: Born in 1950, Vidwan S. Shankar, a popular Karnatak vocalist, is the disciple of his mother Rajamma Shastry and also Nagarathna Bai & Vallabham Kalyana Sundaram. A performer for more than four decades, he is ‘A top’ grade artiste of AIR  and Doordarshan.

He has won the first prize in AIR competition in 1973, Best Musician Award by the Bangalore Gayana Samaj and the Best Young musician award by The Music Academy, Chennai.

He has performed all over the country and at many places in the US. Endowed with a sturdy voice, he has performed jugalbandi concerts with Hindustani vocalists.  

His repertoire consists of the compositions of the Trinity, Swathi Thirunal, Patnam Subrahmanyaiyer, Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, Mysore Vasudevachar, Mayuram Vishwanatha Sastry, Papanasam Sivan, D.V. Gundappa, Padmacharan and Haridasas.

Besides composing a few kritis and thillanas, he has written articles on music and musicians in several dailies and souvenirs. He has also founded a Musical forum “Shankarabharanam Kalamandira” and has organised a year-long birth centenary celebration of his guru Vallabham Kalyanasundaram in the year 2012.

He has so far published three books — Sadashiva Brahmendra Jeevana Mattu Kruthigalu”, “Vaasudeva Keerthana Manjari” and “Sangraha Kruthimaala” containing rare old compositions and contemporary compositions.

He has also presented many musical features on life and compositions of Mysore Vasudevacharya, Sri Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar and others with contributions from his disciples.