L. Athira Krishna
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L. Athira Krishna is an Indian Carnatic violinist. She is a child prodigy who began playing violin at the age of 8, and performing public concerts at 9. She has been hailed as the "Musical Gem Of India" and the "Queen Of Indian Violin", and has performed at the official residence of the President of India.
L. Athira was born in Trivandrum, the capital city of Kerala. Athira showed prodigious music talent even as a toddler, when she would repeat back musical phrases she heard her father sing; her father is himself an established Veena Vidwan and Vocalist. She was given music lessons by her grandfather Vidwan Gopala Pillai, a Carnatic musician whose master-disciple lineage traced back to the Carnatic trinity of the 18th century, and to Baluswamy Dikshithar, who first introduced the violin to Indian classical music.
Her solo concerts are characterized by Shadkaala renditions of Adathaala Varnams (in 6 tempos), presentations of rare and popular compositions of eminent composers with trikaala swaras, and nadai changes and rhythmic patterns in swaraprasthara. Athira has performed her South Indian classical music at International music festivals across the world and has also given numerous "Trans Global Fusion" concerts and lecture demonstrations on Indian classical music at various avenues globally.
In 2004, Athira entered the Guinness book of records by playing a 32-hour non-stop concert - the longest violin marathon by an individual - in her home town of Trivandrum, in honour of her late grandfather.
