Vid. Sri. Trichy K. Ramesh
Vid. Trichy K. Ramesh, born in 1965 in Trichy, is a distinguished Carnatic vocalist who pursued music alongside a commerce degree. He trained under a lineage of eminent gurus including Musiri Sri M.R. Gopalarathnam Iyer, Trichy Sri S. Swaminatha Iyer, Trichy Sri J. Venkataraman, Thanjavur Sri Sankara Iyer, and Semmangudi Dr. R. Srinivasa Iyer.
He gave his maiden performance at the age of 16 at Sri Sathguru Sangeetha Sabha, Trichy, in 1982. Since then, he has performed at nearly every major Sabha and music arena across India and abroad, including the Sri Thyagaraja Aradhana in Cleveland. He has released recordings including a cassette in praise of Kanchi Sri Paramacharya and a CD titled Sarvam Brahma Mayam, and is a Graded Artist of All India Radio, Trichy.
He holds the distinguished position of Asthana Vidwan of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Muth, Sri Ahobila Muth, and Sri Avadhoota Dattapeetham, Mysore. Among his many honors are the titles Isai Chakravarthy, Madura Gana Sangeetha Rathnam, Bharathy Puraskar Award, RMKV Award of Excellence, Kala Rakshaka Shironmani, the Best Concert Award from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, and the Meritorious Award from Maharajapuram Santhanam Foundation.
Beyond performance, Ramesh is a dedicated guru, running "Nadhadweepam Sangeetha Gurukulam" since 1998, offering both in-person and online classes. He serves as visiting faculty at Sastra University, Tanjore. He founded the Nadhadweepam Trust to honor senior musicians, support emerging talent, and foster musical collaboration. He is also Trust Board Secretary and Vice President of Sri Sathguru Thiagabrahma Aradhana Trust and Sri Sathguru Sangeetha Sabha, Srirangam. He has published and compiled several music books and organized Inter School Bhajan and Keerthana Competitions featuring compositions of Sri Sri Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji.
Vid. Sri. Nagai R. Muralidharan
Vid. Nagai R. Muralidharan, born on 4th December 1958, is one of the foremost Carnatic violinists of his generation. Born into a musical family in Nagai, he began learning vocal and violin from his mother at age five and gave his maiden performance at age ten. He received advanced training under Senior Violin Vidwan Sri R.S. Gopalakrishnan.
In 1973, he won first prize at the All India Music Competition conducted by All India Radio, and also received top honors from the Madras Music Academy, Tamil Isai Sangam, and Indian Fine Arts Society — the last of which was presented to him by Bharat Ratna Smt. M.S. Subbulakshmi in 1974. He served as a top-ranking violin artist at All India Radio, Trichy, from 1978 to 2004. With a career spanning over 59 years, he is celebrated for his clarity, rich tonal quality, and scholarly style.
Muralidharan has accompanied five generations of musicians, from legends such as Semmangudi Sri Srinivasa Iyer, Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, and DK Pattamal, to countless young artists. He has performed across the USA, Canada, Australia, Europe, Japan, and the Middle East. In 1985, he performed a remarkable 26-hour non-stop marathon violin concert at Sri Rangam Temple. He is also an integral part of Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival's Sustaining Sampradaya educational series.
A close associate of Poojya Sri Swamiji Dayananda Saraswathi, he was the first violinist to receive the title Arsha Kala Bhushnam instituted by the Swamiji in 2007. His many awards include Kalaimamani from the Tamil Nadu State Government (2003), the Sangeet Natak Academy Award from the Government of India (2010), Asthana Vidwan of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, and Nadha Nidhi from Pujya Sri Ganapathi Sachidananda Swamiji (2024), among numerous others.
Vid. Sri. Punnur T.R. Arvind Kaushik
Vid. Punnur T.R. Arvind Kaushik, born on 19th February 1993, is a versatile percussionist trained in Mridangam, Chenda, Edakka, and Arumukham. Hailing from a family of musicians, he was initiated into Carnatic music at the age of four.
He has trained under Kalaimamani Sri S. Gopakumar, a disciple of Sangeetha Kalanidhi T.K. Murthy, since childhood, and has been receiving advanced training from Kalaimamani Vidwan Sri Mannargudi A. Easwaran since 2014. Academically, he holds a Bachelor of Performing Arts in Mridangam from Bharathiyar Palkalaikoodam and a Master's in Music (Mridangam) from Tamil Nadu Music and Fine Arts University, and is an A Grade artist of All India Radio.
Arvind is a regular performer at major Sabhas and festivals including the Madras Music Academy, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Indian Fine Arts Society, Tamil Isai Sangam, MUDHRA, Karthik Fine Arts, and the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana. He has accompanied stalwarts such as Mysore Brothers, Palghat Ramprasad, and Surya Prakash, and has provided mridangam support for the bharatanatyam recitals of Sri Vaijayanthi Mala Bhali, Sri Padmini Krishnamurthy, and others in India and abroad. He also performs at the Bhagavatha Mela Natakas in Melattur and has rendered Konnakkol in Laya Vinyasa concerts conducted by his guru.
His awards include Yuva Kala Bharati from Bharati Yuva Kendra (2009), State Best Child Award from Pondicherry, Balamurali Pavitra Patra from Chennai Fine Arts (2010), Sangeetha Mudra from Mudhra, Mridanga Ilavarasar from Chidambaram Dikshitar's Association, Yuva Laya Nandhi Dasa from Nandhikeswara Tala Vidhyalaya (2025), and Yuva Sangeetha Kala Jyothi from Suswara Trust (2026).