MANNARGUDI A. EASWARAN
Akademi Award: Carnatic Instrumental Music (Mridangam)

Shri Mannargudi Appayya Easwaran was born in 1947 in Mannargudi in Tamil Nadu, and received training in the Mridangam under Kunniseri U. Krishna Mani Iyer.

Shri Easwaran started performing at an early age in sabhas, music festivals, and conferences organized by various institutions. A top-grade artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan, he has performed in a number of Radio Sangeet Sammelans accompanying most of the leading Carnatic musicians in the field. He has also been acclaimed as an outstanding soloist and has worked steadily to acquire an individual style. Shri Easwaran was invited to teach Mridangam as a visiting professor at the San Francisco State University, U.S.A. He has conducted many lecture-demonstrations of Mridangam within the country and abroad.

Various institutions in Tamil Nadu have honoured Shri Easwaran for his work in music. He has been conferred the Kalaimamani title by the Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Manram in 2003. In 1992, he was made Asthana Vidwana of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam.

Shri Mannargudi A. Easwaran receives the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution to Carnatic instrumental music.