Brechemin Auditorium

University of Washington

4098 15th Ave NE, Seattle

October 12, 2007, Friday 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Buy Tickets online: $10.00 Members, $25.00 Non-members, FREE for Children 7 & Under

MADURAI T. N. SESHAGOPALAN

"Sangeetha Kalanidhi" "Padma Bhushan" Madurai T. N. Seshagopalan was initiated into devotional music and inspired by his mother, Tiruvenkatavalli. He started his musical career and gave his first Namasankeethan concert at the age of seven, playing the harmonium himself. Even at that young age, he was the preferred accompanist for Pudukottai Gopalakrishna Bhagavatar, the doyen of the Namasankeethan tradition. At 16, he underwent formal training in Carnatic music under the Late Ramanathapuram C. S. Sankara Sivam, a foremost disciple of the famous musician, composer and harikatha exponent, Harikesanallur Muthaiah Bhagavatar. The training imparted by Sivam proved to be the culminating point in TNS’s life and thus his concert career started. TNS holds a degree in science from Madras University. Later, he became the Assistant Professor of Music at the Music College of Madurai University.

Endowed with a velvety voice and a highly trained mind, TNS’s dynamic style, creativity and technical mastery proves that he is one of the foremost vidwans of our times. TNS is an A-grade veena player, a Namasankeethan Bhagavathar, an amateur flute player and a keyboard artist. He is a composer, and has set music to many Tamil literary works, such as verses from “Kamba Ramayanam”. 

More than 50 music companies have released TNS’s performances and recordings.He has trained many students in the way of the time-honored Gurukula system of music education where the students had to stay in the Guru’s home. Many of them are leading performing artists and musicologists. TNS has received numerous awards and honors over many years. Most notable among them are:

"Sangeetha Kalanidhi" by The Music Academy, Chennai (2006)
"Padma Bhushan" , by the Government of India (2004)
"Sangeetha Kala Nipuna", by Mylapore Fine Arts Club (2003)
"Isai Perarignar" by the Tamil Isai Sangam  (2000)       
"Sangeetha Rathnakara" by Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana Committee (1998) 
"Sangeetha Kala Sarathy" by Parthasarathy Swami Sabha (1997)
"Tamil Isai Vendar" by Karthik Fine Arts, (1996)
"Kalaimamani" – by the Government of Tamil Nadu (1985)
"Sangeetha Sudhakara" by the Paramacharya of Kanchi Kamakoti peetam, His Holiness Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathy Swamigal in 1983.
"Asthana Vidwan" of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam awarded by H. H. Jayendra Sarawathy Swamigal on Deepavali day 1984.

In his Utsav 2007 performance, Sri. T. N. Seshagopalan will be accompanied by Mullaivasal G. Chandramouli on the violin, Tanjore K. Murugabhoopathi on the mridangam, and Ravi Balasubramanian on the ghatam.