Madokaram Prashanth Iyengar - Brahmavidya · 1 CAPSULIZED PROFILE OF Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Asthana Vidwan Vidwan M.N.Prashanth Iyengar For Prashanth, music is an inborn intrinsic

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Madokaram Prashanth Iyengar

Profile

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CAPSULIZED PROFILE OF

Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Asthana Vidwan

Vidwan M.N.Prashanth Iyengar

For Prashanth, music is an inborn intrinsic knowledge manifested into reality.

Iyengar has realized this noble goal in a dedicated span of over two and a half

decade in the music field.

Born into the family of musicians, scholars, Erudite Sanskrit virtuosos and

Court Musicians of the erstwhile Mysore Royal Palace, his Musical innate

inheritance blossomed at the very early age of five years. Seeing that this is

when any one can hardly think of playing the divine instrument with its

enormous complexity involved in playing, Prashant’s proves in the Veena can

only be described as a natural musical prodigy. At the age of eight, he could play

extraordinary and complex musical compositional genre of Karnataka Music

with ease.

Prashanth Iyengar belongs to the direct musical lineage of the famed Saint

composer Sri Tyagaraja. His music is further backed by training rigor of the rich

traditional Mysore Subbanna school of Veena. Prashanth Iyengar received his

initial tutelage under his mother Smt Padmasini Narasimhachar and matured

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into an artist under the guidance of Veena Virtuoso Vidwan Lion Sri. R. K.

Suryanarayana.

His constant experiment on the Instrument has helped to envision and adapt

his own style of playing that is characterized with sensational touches involving

rich nuances and varied patterns in the musical content.

He captivates his audiences with his distinctive presentation which is coupled

with natural reverberation of the sympathetic strings that he has innovated in

his instrument and his approach in the presentation of the musical genre has

attracted wide appreciation among the connoisseurs of Music.

The sympathetic co-ordination of assortment of instrumental sound Mr.

Iyengar brings in from his divine Veena is a treat to his audiences - the smooth

and lustrous Instrumental tone produced by mellow strokes and by judicious

understanding which produces wholesome sound. He brings coherence and

blends various forms of music in his concerts which has received joyous

accolades from the connoisseurs of music across the globe.

Prashanth Iyengar achievements can be thus summarized . . .

A 25-hour marathon Veena concert by Mr. Iyengar on 21 April 2010 at

Srirangapattana, has set a new milestone in the history of Carnatic Music

and is indeed a mirror of showcase to his talent, dedication and years of

practice. This has been adjudicated as a World Record by Limca Book

of Records for the longest marathon Veena concert ever played by an

artist during our times.

First Musician to evolve an integrated system of learning Music, Theatre

and Yoga while he was working as the in-charge of music department in

Directorate of Textbooks, Government of Karnataka implemented under

State Government Trimester Scheme for Middle and High school.

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Mr. Iyengar is the first composer from Karnataka to have composed

'Varnams' in all the '72 Melakartha Ragas' and also second youngest

composer after the stalwart and world renowned Karnataka musician Dr.

M. Balamuralikrishna.

Secured third rank in the Vidwath Examination. (Equivalent Master

Degree course conducted by Govt of Karnataka)

Won 1st prize in Madras Music Academy

Invited to perform before the then Chief Minister of Karnataka (J H Patel)

in Banquett hall of Vidhana soudha on the occasion of Kannada

Rajyothsava - 1997

Reconstructed and Presented the Pandarika Vitthala Mela Veena as

mentioned in the Ancient Musical treatise of India, the Nartana Nirnaya

of 16th Century and under the guidance of the author of this monumental

work, the world renowned scholar and polymath, Mahamahopadyaya Dr.

R. Sathyanarayana. Prashanth gave a live demonstration of this

reconstructed Veena during a National Seminar ‘Shastrotsava - 2015’

conducted by Indira Gandhi National Center for Arts, New Delhi, which is

India’s premier cultural center.

Prashanth Iyengar as an able music Composer:

Has composed 52 Sarales, Dhatu Janti Gamaka Alankaras in all the sapta talas,

6 Swarajathis, 90 Varnas (Including 72 melartha varnam compositions) and 25

Keertana, 10 Devaranamas and the list continues

Prashanth Iyengar as an efficient Music Organizer :

Organizing concerts for promoting and encouraging artists of class without any

discretion.

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Managing Trustee, Veenaganalaya, Sreerama Centre of Performing Arts Trust ®

Vice-President and Trustee, Sree Karanji Sree Rama Seva Samithi, Basavanagudi

Bangalore

Director (PR), VISVAS, Research organization for music and Ancient Sciences of

India.

Prashanth Iyengar as Media Publisher

Guru Vandana CD’s and Audio cassettes by Akshaya Audios

Tyagaraja Yoga Vaibhavam by Lahari Reviews

Mannollasini – Veena Violin duet by Vidwan Prashanth Iyengar and Vidushi Dr.

Jyothsna Srikanth

PRASHANTHS TRYST WITH POPULAR MEDIA

Dooradarshan & Udaya TV has telecast veena Recital.

Presented a ‘Dasha Veena Recital’ for UDAYA TV on the occasion of

Vijayadashami

Pancharatna Kritis for Shankara TV

Dooradarshan Interview in ‘Belagu’- a program dedicated to achievers

Honors and Titles

Vainika kesari’ from Gurunanak Seva Trust

‘Vainika Visharada’ by his holiness Rangapriya Swamiji from Astanga

Yogamandira

Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Asthana Vidwan honored by Kanchi Mutt,

Kancheepuram

Honored by Adi Shankara Institute of Engineering and Technology, Kaladi,

Kerala

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‘Pranavashree’ by Sreekantham Nagendra Shastry, Chintalapalli Trust

Music Tutoring:

Managing trustee and Director of Sreerama Centre of Performing Arts ® School

of music established by mother Vidushi Padmasini Narasimhachar in the year

1972, Training students since 15 years, with a motto of promoting the divine

instrument in a unique way.

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The food of life

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/the-

food-of-life/article5944821.ece

RANJANI GOVIND

The Hindu

Veena player Madokaram Prashanth Iyengar. Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Prashanth Iyengar takes the cause of the veena firmly forward. He is not

only a musician but also a composer

At his recent Ramanavami kutcheri, vainika M.N. Prashanth Iyengar preceded each piece with an explanation “for audiences to understand the core implications behind the composer’s thoughts and musicality.” Before taking up the Saveri varna “Sarasuda” he said varnas are replete with raga bhava and composers here don’t relate to their expertise on sahitya. The Tyagaraja’s Pancharatna “Jagadaananda Kaaraka” contains the ashtothara

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shathanaamaavali of Lord Rama brought out in a scholarly kriti-format, he explained.

Prashanth is curious to learn, just as he believes in the importance of sharing knowledge through lec-dems, workshops, music appreciation courses at his Sree Rama Centre of Performing Arts. “It seems intrinsic as my mother, Padmasini Narasimhachar, my first veena guru, too had her academic and music influence from her father Sampath Iyengar, a Sanskrit scholar.”

Says Prashanth, “My mother tells me that she was shocked to see me play Endaro Mahanubhavulu on the veena when I was seven, even before formal lessons were initiated. She would finish all her domestic chores at night and peacefully practice on her veena, often stretching into the wee hours. Her gentle twangs not just brought the raga and kritis alive, but the divinity of the mellow instrument reverberated and struck a chord within me. I imbibed her technique and approach that traced the Mysore Bhakshi Subbanna Parampara. The veena always seemed a blessing to me. To all of us at home, Veena has remained more interesting than food!”

As an 11-year-old, when Prashanth played, musicians wondered if he was Veena Doreswamy Iyengar’s student. “I considered myself lucky, for, my mother’s style rested equally on the same traditionally established school that followed vocalised gaayaki approaches. Curiously it was an impressionable time when my mother thought I needed a different teacher for bringing newer perspectives into my music. My sister, M.N. Geetha, with a Master’s in Music, took me straightaway to maestro R.K. Suryanarayana. This gave me a new impetus, as my guruji often called me home at night to share his own creative masterpieces,” he says.

Far-sighted and large-hearted, Suryanarayana even advised Prashanth to “never blindly follow a guru but bring forth expressions that is individualistic. Feel the sahitya, understand the bhava even if you have to play the kriti 100 times over,” was his counsel. Prashanth is happy his guru had made him “think and feel”. Once when Prashanth had played the Bhairavi Attatala varna at Mysore, it had elicited a reaction from M.S. Gopalakrishnan. “Bring more jeeva (life) through gamakas, the divine veena can be made to sing!” Taking this advice seriously, Prashanth mastered gamakas through rigorous practice of sarale and janti varase, and the alankaras.

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“Veena is a spiritual instrument, what and how you play on it matters as our music scriptures have included chapters on this Saraswathi’s instrument,” says Prashanth. “I am very sensitive to the pace of a kriti, as it has to be along its lyrical-bhava. The Tyagaraja kriti ‘Manavyala Kinchara’ in Nalinakanti says, ‘Oh my mind, why don’t you listen to my appeals.’ Can we ever play it fast?” is his query.

With a Bachelor’s in Pharmacy and Diploma in Computer Engineering, Prashanth has had his stint with Yoga too for accruing meditative benefits. He played a marathon veena concert stretching to 25-hours to create a Limca National Record in 2011at the Srirangapatna Temple premises. The workshop on veena that he spearheaded at Mantralaya early this year had a detailed discussion on the instrument by experts in the field.

Prashanth Iyengar is a composer too -- has composed 90 varnas that include the 72-varnas tuned in the 72-melakarta ragas, making him the only one to compose in every single melakarta. Apart from sapta-tala varnas, he also has 20 kritis, 10 devaranamas and five tillanas to his credit. What is very special about his book ‘Varna Lakshana Ranjani’ which has 72-mela varnas and 72-Lakshana Geethes printed in Kannada, English and Hindi is the fact that it is meticulously hand-written by Padmasini Narasimhachar.

Prashanth Iyengar will perform at the Indian Institute of World Culture, Bangalore on April 20. Call 97436 44530 for details.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/deft-evocativeness/article3920082.ece

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Deft evocativeness

MADHAVI RAMKUMAR CONCERT : Prashanth Iyengar’s veena concert was a picture of purity and clarity

Profound Prashant Iyengar

A veena concert by Prashanth Iyengar, accompanied by B.C. Manjunath (mridanga) and Ranganatha Chakravarthy (ghata) was part of the Vidyasagara Prof. M.P.L.Sastry Music Festival conducted by the MES Kalavedi, Bangalore, recently.

A heavily gamaka imbued two-speed rendition of ‘Viriboni’, the ata thala varna in Bhairavi, was followed by a short sketch of Goula, attesting to purity and clarity of notes and adorned with alternating bold strokes and soft touches. Muthuswami Deekshithar’s ‘Sri Maha Ganapathiravathu Mam’ in mishra chapu thala, presented in a bracing tempo, was supplemented with a few rounds of kalpana swaras. The Thyagaraja composition ‘Yochana Kamala Lochana’ set to Darbar raga and adi thala was another fast paced rendition, prefacing a compact alapana of Amrithavarshini. Beginning rather unusually with the madhyama,

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the elaboration proceeded in a series of intricate yet melodious sancharas that ran the entire gamut of the scale. The celebrated Deekshithar krithi ‘Anandamrithakarshini’ in adi thala was followed by a spate of spontaneous and alluring kalpana swaras.

The main focus of the recital was on a raga thana pallavi in Thodi. The auditorium lights were switched off during the introductory chanting of ‘Om’ and the alapana and thana as per the request of the artist, in an effort to emphasise the higher purpose of music that transcends mere performance. The fairly exhaustive raga elaboration was suffused with raga bhava and heavy classicism, drawing from extensive reservoirs of manodharma founded on impressive control and expertise. The sonorous phrases in the mandra sthayi, and the deft evocativeness of the nishada in the madhya sthayi were among the notable features of the exercise. The thana was a bright mosaic of patterns and melodies including a few in ragamalika format. The pallavi, set to khanda jathi triputa thala, was taken up for a compact interpretation along with kalpana swaras and subsequent tempo variations that reaffirmed the technical command and laya skills of the lead artists, culminating in a thani avarthana. Given the time constraints, however, a more profound exploration of Thodi without the introduction of other ragas would perhaps have deepened the impact. Exemplary percussion support by the accompanying artistes was one of the highlights of the concert, which concluded with a devaranama in Behag and Swathi Thirunal’s thillana in Dhanasri raga and adi thala.

Madhavi Ramkumar

http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/paeans-to-tyagaraja/article5732184.ece

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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, February 27, 2014

Updated: February 27, 2014 19:00 IST

Paeans to Tyagaraja

The Hindu Prashanth Iyengar struck a chord with the audience in Kochi with his music and presentation.

Prashanth Iyengar charmed as much with his veena music as with his traditional attire complete with a ‘namam’. After the Bhairavi ata tala varnam ‘Viriboni’, he painted the quaint beauty of Kambitha gamakas in his presentation of Kanakangi and the Tyagaraja kriti ‘Sreegananatham Bhajamyaham’. In small simple units, he sketched the picture of Saramathi raga before proceeding for a contemplative rendition of ‘Mokshamu galada’.

After giving an introduction to raga Hamsanadam, the artiste said he would be presenting the raga using Shatshruthi rishabham, as it was originally meant to be. He dexterously presented the tanam in quick sancharas to quickly follow it with ‘Bantureeti kolu’. As the decibels rose, the bustle of swaras offered many a thrilling variation.

After a brisk taniavarthanam from Balakrishna Kamath on the mridangam and Mangad Pramod on the ghatam, Prashanth presented ‘Jagadodharana’ in Kapi, after singing it in the high pitch of the veena, and a thillana in Behag. Tyagaraja Day was organised by Kerala Fine Arts Society.

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https://www.google.co.in/?ion=1&espv=2#q=Prashanth+Iyengar

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/443767/modern-take-classical-forms.html

Interview

http://video.webindia123.com/p_interviews/musicians/carnatic_instrumentalist/veenaartist/vidwan_madokaram_prashanth_iyengar/index.htm

Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prashanth_Iyengar

Channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClKmFaT3no4IPZuXx2EkAnQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0AHu7DpcBE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8IRlZPITmk

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Vidwan Prashanth

Iyengar felicitated by

His Excellency the

Governor of

Karnataka State Sri

H R Bharadhwaj.

Dr. Sathyanarayana

and Supreme Court

Justice Sri

Venkatachalaiah Can

be seen

Vidwan Prashanth

Iyengar felicitated by

Chief Minister of

Karnataka State Sri

Siddaramaiah on the

eve of Rajyotsava.

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Prashanth

receiving

falicitations

Prashanth

Presenting

the

Pandarika

Vitthala Mela

Veena in the

presence of

Mahamaho

-padhyaaya

Dr.

R.Sathyanara

-yana.

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Prashanth Iyengar

with J H Patel

Chief Minister of

Karnataka

1997

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Prashanth Iyengar

receiving Kanchi

Kamakoti

Peetham asthana

vidwan

felicitation from

his holiness Sri

Jayendra

Saraswathi

Mahaswamiji

Prashanth Iyengar

receiving with

Mohan Veena

Vituouso

Virtuoso

Pt. Vishwamohan

Bhat

@ Basava Kalayan

Music Festival

Karnataka

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Prashanth

accompanying his

mother and guru Smt.

Padmasini

Narasimhachar on the

Veena

Prashanth offering his

Veena propitiation to

the Lord Narasimha,

amidst of pushkarini

theertham, at

Ahobilam. He has

innovated this unique

Urdhva mukha

playing techniques

and this picture

portrays it.

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Prashanth Iyengar conducting and playing in the unique

Sapta Veena concert for Udaya TV(seven veenas performing

together)

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Vidwan Madokaram Prashanth Iyengar No 174 7th Main 3rd Cross Nagendra Block

Bankcolony, Bangalore-560050 www.theveena.com

08026421053, 9743644530, 9964726938