Carnatic Vocal Duet By Kumari Kanya Kumari And Embar Kann

How does the music evolve as a disciple leaves the auspices of the master and chalks his own path, then comes back to play with her? When youthful innovation  channels itself to merge with the pull of tradition? Violinists Kanyakumari and Embar Kannan are playing a duet tonight, and both master and student are accomplished virtuosos.

Kanyakumari has 25 years of concert experience and was initially groomed into top-draw material by the late Dr. ML Vasantakumari. She played regularly with her guru and also provided accompaniment for Dr. N. Ramani, Dr M. Balamuralikrishna, the late TR Mahalingam, U Srinivas, Sikkil Sisters, TV Gopalakrishnan and many more eminent artists.

Kanyakumari is a distinguished soloist, trains a number of students, and has recently even set a record by playing the violin nonstop for 29 hours at the Padmanabhaswamy Temple . She also conducted a concert with 25 violinists playing in unison, recently in Madras. For the past 10 years, she has been organizing concert tours in India under the banner of Vadyalahiri: an instrumental ensemble comprising a rare combination of the nadaswaram, violin and the veena.

Embar Kannan is a disciple of Kanyakumari and one of the players of the famed Heartbeat Ensemble. He is an A Grade artist with AIR and has accompanied many stalwarts such as as T. V Sankaranarayanan, Trichur Ramachandran, T N Seshagoplann, Sudha Raghunathan, Kadri Gopalnath, Unnikrishnan, and Sowmya. He has travelled widely for his performances, whether in USA, Europe, the Far East, South Africa, Australia or the Middle East.

Kannan has adopted a new style of performance through his electric violin that he has modified to suit the needs of South Indian classical music. His bowing technique is of high quality, marked by sweetness and clarity. He is the recipient of many awards and honors for both his solo and accompanying skills.

For further details, please contact 2786-0680, 2780-1662.