K. S. Narayanaswamy Biography 
K. S. Narayanaswamy was a Carnatic veena exponent from Palakkad Kerala. He has served as faculty of Swati Tirunal Music Academy, Thiruvananthapuram and later became its principal. He was a recipient of many titles and awards and travelled widely in India and abroad. Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1968, Padma Bhushan in 1977 and Sangita Kalanidhi in 1979 are the major titles received by him. His soft and graceful playing in the gayaki style was unique and was an exponent of the Thanjavur style.
He was born in Palakkad in 1914. He learnt Carnatic music and instrumental music under Maha Vidwan Sabesa Iyer, Sangita Kalanidhi Tanjore Ponniah Pillai and Vidwan Desamangalam Subramania Iyer. His initial training was done in Carnatic music by his brother K.S. Krishna Iyer. He started learning from his elder brother at the age of 7 and continued it for next 7 years. Later he studied at Music College at Annamalai University in Chidambaram where he got opportunity to learn from many doyens of music. He learnt the veena under Desamangalam Subramania Iyer and the mridangam under Tanjore Ponniah Pillai.
Then he started his career as a lecturer for about one decade in Annamalai University, till he got invitation from Travancore king to join as faculty in Swathi Thirunal Music Acedemy, Thiruvananthapuram. He joined as Veena teacher and alter became its principal. Then he went to Mumbai where he served as the Principal of the Sangeetha Vidyalaya of Shanmukhananda Fine Arts and Sangeetha Sabha from 1970 onwards. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer performed almost during the same period. He is also a recipient of Sangeetha Kalanidhi from the Madras Music Academy in 1979 and the Swathi Ratna in 1999, just before his death.
Published: N/A
Updated: April 17, 2014
