S. R. D. Vaidyanathan Biography 
S. R. D. Vaidyanathan was a percussionist known as a Nadhaswara player from Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu. He was also an eminent teacher who taught numerous students. Young Carnatic singer Sanjay Subrahmanyan, the latest recipient of Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 2015 is one of his leading students. He has performed in Singapore, Thailand, Sri-Lanka and many other countries and his concerts have been relayed by AIR. He was a top grade Vidwan of AIR who also performed for radio. In 1981 he received the prestigious 'Kalaimamani' award of Tamil Nadu Government and he received the honour from Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran. This Nagaswaram exponent in Semponnarkoil School of tradition, he spent more than 6 decades in the field of music.
Vaidyanathan was born in Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu in 1929. He was born into a family with strong music background. His grandfather Ramasamy Pillai and his father Dakshina Murthy were great artists of their time. He belonged to the musical tradition of Semponar koil, a small town near Mayiladuthurai, sung by Saivite minstrels. Noted musician S. R. G. Rajanna is his cousin. He received training from Thiru Mayavaram Ramiah Pillai. He trained in vocals from A.K. Ganesa pillai and Madurai Mani Iyer.
A famed exponent of Semponnarkoil style, Vaidyanathan teamed up with his brother S.R.D. Muthukumarasamy and they together formed the second generation of the Semponnarkoil School of Nagaswaram. The brothers secured a prominent place in Nagaswaram in the Carnatic music world. He followed a difficult kala pramanam and excelled in rendering tough keerthanas and pallavis also. He played every word of the viribhoni varnam in four different kalams, a legend! In 2004 he was honoured with TTK award by the Music academy, Chennai.
Published: N/A
Updated: March 12, 2016
