Gayathri Girish
Gayathri Girish is amongst the leading Carnatic vocalists of today .[1] An exemplary degree of dedication, coupled with an intrinsic leaning towards Carnatic Music, has propelled vocalist Gayathri to the forefront of the classical music domain. Grounded firmly in the roots of classicism, her concerts are more often than not, steeped in improvisational features, be it a seldom heard composition or a Pallavi designed with creativity. Initially trained by Sri Vaigal Gnanaskandan of the Semmangudi school, Gayathri has imbibed some of her boundless Manodharma from the training under veteran Padma Bhushan, Sangeetha Kalanidhi Madurai Sri TN Seshagopalan. She has also been fortunate to have learnt the violin for a few years from the legendary Lalgudi Sri G Jayaraman and Smt T Rukmini. Ever since making her debut in 1986, Gayathri has received accolades in substantial measure from both the lay listeners and erudite critics.[2] Her repertoire is particularly impressive, with songs ranging from Tamil Tevaram hymns and Divya Prabhandams to Purandaradasar Devarnamas.Oothukkadu Venkatakavi Kritis, Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiyar songs, compositions of Muthiah Bhagavathar, Papanasam Sivan and Ambujam Krishna all find a place in her song lists.
Lec dems and other interesting concerts
An A-Grade panel artist of AIR Chennai, Gayathri has given quite a number of interesting and non-routine concerts such as Jugalbandis with Hindustani musicians, vocal performances with Thavil accompaniment, one Raga – one Kriti concerts (that call for highest levels of Manodharma) and numerous thematic concerts on topics like Shanmatam and Nava Vidha Bhakthi. She has also given several lecture demonstrations on topics such as “Complex Pallavis”, “Music and Mathematics” and “Structural Variations in Compositions since the Trinity”. She has given performances extensively both in India and abroad. She is a regular performer in all leading Sabhas in Chennai including the Madras Music Academy. Some of her concerts outside India encompass recitals at Cleveland, Singapore, Russia, Colombo, Muscat and London. She has also appeared in TV shows and has recently undertaken an archival project of Divya Prabandams by Doordarshan.[3]
Albums and Awards
Awards and recognition are always natural consequences of disciplined efforts and sustained excellence. Some of the awards received by Gayathri include
| TITLE/AWARD | INSTITUTED BY |
|---|---|
| Madhura Murali Puraskar (2012) | Vipanchee |
| Kalaimamani (2009) | Govt. of Tamilnadu |
| Isai Peroli | Karthik Fine Arts, Chennai |
| Gaana Rathna | Department of Cultural Affairs,Colombo |
| Yuva Kala Bharati | Bharat Kalachar, Chennai |
| Kalai Nirai Mamani | Tamil Nadu Government Music College |
| Dr. MLV Award | CMANA(USA) and Narada Gana Sabha,Chennai |
| Kalai Peroli | Lions Club |
| Sahityapriya | Jan Kalyan |
| Youth Excellence Award | Rotary Club of Nanganallur |
| Dr.S.Ramanathan Memorial Award | Music Academy, Chennai |
| Pappu Kamakshiamma Memorial Award | Music Academy, Chennai |
| K.R.Sundaram Iyer Memorial Award for Best Concert | Music Academy, Chennai |
| Price Award of Excellence | Shakespeare Millennium Club, Chennai |
| K.V.Mahadevan Award of Excellence | Shree Bharatalaya |
| Dr.M.L.Vasantakumari Award | Sriragam Fine Arts, Chennai |
A number of her live concerts have been released commercially as albums. Vaishnavam, Aarupadai Veedu Kshetra and a delectable Raga Manjari are some of her recent recordings.
Person
A gold medalist at college, Gayathri has a post graduate degree in Computer Applications. She also maintains an active blog through which she interacts with Rasikas. She is married to Girish,who encourages her thoroughly. They have a daughter vishruthi,who is presently tredding her mother's foot trails in her school. They also have a son vishvesh,who plays mridangam.