2001:569:785A:DA00:9D5:FF51:B082:35F9: /* Instrumental ensemble/fusion */

2021-03-31T04:53:23Z

Instrumental ensemble/fusion

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{{Infobox musical artist 
| name = Trichy Sankaran
| image =
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| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name =
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1942|07|27}}
| birth_place = [[Thiruchirapalli]], Tamil Nadu, India
| death_date =
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| origin =
| instrument = [[mridangam]], [[kanjira]]
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| website = [http://www.trichysankaran.com www.trichysankaran.com]
}}
'''Trichy Sankaran''' (born 27 July 1942) is an Indian percussionist, composer, scholar, and educator. He was awarded the [[Madras Music Academy]]'s [[Sangeetha Kalanidhi]] in 2011. As a [[mridangam]] ''[[vidwan]]'', he has been called a "doyen among the percussionists of India" in [[Sruti (magazine)|Sruti magazine]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Prakash |first1=K. Arun |date=2011 |title=Tributes to Trichy Sankaran |url=http://srutimag.blogspot.com/2011/12/tributes-to-trichy-sankaran.html |journal=Sruti |access-date=May 19, 2020}}</ref> Since the early 1970s, he has performed and recorded in a number of cross-cultural projects. In 2017, he was awarded the "[[Tiruchirapalli]] Carnatic Musicians Lifetime Achievement Award".<ref>{{cite journal |date=January 23, 2017 |title=Tiruchirapalli Vidwan honoured |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/Vidwan-honoured/article17081345.ece |journal=The Hindu |access-date=May 19, 2020}}</ref>

Sankaran has lived in [[Toronto]] since 1971. He is the founder of the [[Tyagaraja Aradhana]] in Toronto and is a professor of music at [[York University]]. He has regularly performed at all leading organisations in [[Chennai]] every December Music Season and continues to accompany a wide array of top ranked musicians.<ref name=sangeetha-kalanidhi />

==Early life==
Born on 27 July 1942 in [[Thiruchirapalli]], Tamil Nadu, India, Sankaran had his early musical training first under his cousin, P. A. Venkataraman, and later became the star disciple of the legendary ''mridangam'' maestro, Pazhani Subramania Pillai. He made his debut at the age of 13 in a concert given by the Alathoor Brothers at Nanrudayan Temple in the town of Thiruchirapalli.{{citation needed|date=January 2016}}

Since then he has performed with many significant Carnatic musicians, including [[Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar]] and [[T. R. Mahalingam (flautist)|T. R. Mahalingam]].{{citation needed|date=January 2016}} He won the [[All India Radio]] gold medal in 1955 and the [[President of India]] award in 1958.

==Teaching==
Sankaran is the co-founder (in conjunction with vocalist [[Jon B. Higgins]]) of the Indian Music Program and a Professor of Music at [[York University]] in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where he has been teaching since 1971. In addition, he has also conducted workshops and seminars at [[Wesleyan University]], the [[Berklee College of Music]], the [[University of Michigan]], the [[California Institute of the Arts]], the [[University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign|University of Illinois]], [[McMaster University]], [[Cornell University]], and [[Dalhousie University]]. He has made valuable contributions at many scholarly conferences across North America and has also published a number of his works in the leading journals of the continent. He has also written a textbook on the ''mridangam'', which defines the basic techniques and principles of Carnatic percussion, entitled ''The Rhythmic Principles & Practice of South Indian Drumming''. In addition, in 2010 he authored a comprehensive textbook which focuses on the subject of solkattu (the spoken rhythms of South India) titled ''The Art of Konnakkol''.
Trichy Sankaran is also an avid world class clinician, and has performed workshops and clinics internationally. He has collaborated with top ranking drummers and percussionists, such as [[Steve Smith (musician)|Steve Smith]], [[Peter Erskine]], and [[Giovanni Hidalgo]], among others.

Sankaran is also the founder and artistic director of Kalalayam, an institution dedicated in cultivating the nuances and techniques of the Pudukkottai style of percussive embellishment. He has successfully trained many South Asian and North American students on the ''mridangam'', ''kanjira'', ''[[ghatam]]'', [[tabla]], and other Western percussion instruments. He was the pioneer in starting the Thyagaraja Festival in Toronto which has flourished into an annual event hosting a series of concerts featuring top ranked musicians from India, identifying and promoting talented youth in North America and endowing scholarships to students pursuing a career in music.

==International tours==
Sankaran has performed far and wide at major festivals in India, Southeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and North America. With over half a century of concert experience in Carnatic music, he has accompanied over five generations of musicians.

==Awards==


As a performing artist of international repute, Sankaran has received numerous honours and awards. The titles include:
*''[[Sangeetha Kalanidhi]]'' (Madras Music Academy, India)<ref name=sangeetha-kalanidhi>{{cite news|title=Trichy Sankaran chosen for 'Sangita Kalanidhi' title|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/trichy-sankaran-chosen-for-sangita-kalanidhi-title/819018/|access-date=19 July 2011|newspaper=Indian Express|date=18 July 2011}}</ref>
*''[http://www.sangeetnatak.gov.in/sna-awards-2013/Citation/010-TrichySankaran.htm Sangeet Nataka]'' [http://www.sangeetnatak.gov.in/sna-awards-2013/Citation/010-TrichySankaran.htm Academy Award] from the Government of India
*''Tala Kalai Arasu'' (Bharati Kala Manram, Toronto)
*''Laya Sikhamani'' (Bhairavi, Cleveland)
*''Nadha Laya Brahmam'' (Bharathi Vidya Bhavan, Trichy)
*''Tala Vadya Prakasa'' (CMANA, New York)
*''[[Sangeetha Choodamani]]'' ( Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai)(1984)
*''Viswa Kala Bharathi'' (Bharat Kalachar, Chennai)
*''Mridanga Kala Shironmani'' (Percussive Arts Centre, Bangalore)
*''Asthana Vidwan'' (Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, [[Kanchipuram]])
*''OCUFA teaching award'' (Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Association, Canada)

He was also nominated as the ''Professional of the Year'' by the executive committee of the Indo-Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Toronto. He has received the prestigious Palghat Mani Iyer Award from the Percussive Arts Centre, Bangalore, the Chowdiah Memorial Award from the Karnataka State, and Sri Pazhani Subramania Pillai Award from the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. In 1998 he received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the [[University of Victoria]], in [[British Columbia]], Canada, for his achievements in the academic and professional fields. He has also held honourable positions at [[The Glenn Gould Foundation]] and [[Canada Council]].

==Work with ensembles==
In addition to his usual traditional settings, he has performed with [[gamelan]], jazz, electronic, and African music ensembles, and World Drums in fusion concerts. He has performed in ''[[jugalbandhi]]'' concerts with Ustad Vilayat Khan, [[V. G. Jog]], [[Zakir Hussain (musician)|Zakir Hussain]], [[Hariprasad Chaurasia]], [[Shanta Prasad]], and [[Swapan Chaudhuri]], to name a few. As a composer, Sankaran has to his credit numerous pieces in the genres of gamelan, jazz, traditional Western classical orchestra, and various instrumental ensembles respectively.

Sankaran has also worked in the fields of jazz, electronic music, and free improvisation with the composers [[David Rosenboom]], [[Richard Teitelbaum]], [[Charlie Haden]], [[Pauline Oliveros]], [[Paul Plimley]], [[Rajesh Mehta]] the Jazz Orchestra of York University, [[Anthony Braxton]], [[Dave Brubeck]], [[Glen Velez]], [[Nexus (percussion ensemble)|Nexus]], and World Drums.

In 1996, Sankaran was commissioned by leading Canadian Bharatanatyam dancer Lata Pada, C.M., to compose a contemporary work entitled 'TimeScape', for her dance company, Sampradaya Dance Creations.

==Personal life==
Sankaran lives in [[Toronto, Ontario]], Canada in the district of [[North York]]. His daughter is the vocalist and pianist Suba Sankaran, with whom he and wind specialist Ernie Tollar perform as Trichy's Trio.{{citation needed|date=January 2016}}

==Discography==

===Released in North America===

====Instrumental ensemble/fusion====
*1975 – ''Suitable for framing'' – with [[David Rosenboom]] and [[J. B. Floyd]] (ARC Records)
*1993 – ''Whirled'' – with Oliver Schroer (Big Dog Music)
*1996 – ''Oliver Schroer and the Stewed Tomatoes'' – with Oliver Schroer (Big Dog Music)
*1998 – ''Ivory Ganesh Meets Doctor Drums'' – with Paul Plimley (Songlines)
*1999 – ''Catch 21: Trichy's Trio'' – with Suba Sankaran and Ernie Tollar (Deep Down Productions)
*1999 – ''Innovative Music Meeting'' – with Rajesh Mehta and Rohan De Saram (True Muze Records)
*2004 – ''Maza Mezé: Secrets Moon Magic'' – with John Wyre and Suba Sankaran (CBC)
*2021 - "Speaking Hands"- with [https://curtisandrews.bandcamp.com/album/speaking-hands Curtis Andrews] [The Offering of Curtis Andrews] (independent)

====Traditional Carnatic====
*1990 – ''Laya Vinyas'' – Mrdangam Solo ([[Music of the World]])
*1993 – ''Sunada'' – with Karaikudi Subramaniam ([[Music of the World]])
*1997 – ''Lotus Signatures'' – with Dr. N. Ramani ([[Music of the World]])
*2001 – ''The Carnatic Violin'' – with Prof. T. N. Krishnan ([http://www.kriyative.com Kriyative World Music])

===Released in India===
*2001 – ''Kutcheri: Live at Kalakshetra'' – with Sanjay Subramanyan ([http://www.charsur.com Charsur Digital])
*2002 – ''Mukhari'' – with Chitraveena Ravikiran ([http://www.rajalakshmiaudio.com Rajalakshmi Audio])
*2005 – ''Gajaleela'' – Mridangam and Kanjira Solo ([http://www.charsur.com Charsur Digital])
*2007 – ''Kutcheri: Live in Chennai'' – with Lalgudi G. J. R. Krishnan and Lalgudi Vijaylakshmi ([http://www.charsur.com Charsur Digital])**
*2007 – ''Live at Music Academy Madras'' – with Malladi Brothers ([http://www.rajalakshmiaudio.com Rajalakshmi Audio])**

''** – Forthcoming''

==Books==
*1977 – ''The Art of drumming: South Indian Mridangam''. Toronto: Private Edition
*1994 – ''The Rhythmic Principles & Practice of South Indian Drumming''. Toronto: Lalith Publishers
*2003 – ''Frame Drums of South India: A Handbook on Solkattu (Rhythm Solfege)''. Toronto: Lalith Publishers.
*2010 – " The Art Of Konnakkol (Solkattu)". Toronto: Lalith Publishers.

==DVD==
*2011 - "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UElp04xS5zg RhythmWise: The Art of the Korvai]" (with Ken Shorley). Wolfville, NS.

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.trichysankaran.com/ Trichy Sankaran official site]
*[https://www.myspace.com/trichysankaran Trichy Sankaran site]
*[http://www.yorku.ca/finearts/faculty/profs/sankaran.htm Trichy Sankaran faculty page] from York University site
*[http://www.musicoftheworld.com/profile_trichy.html Trichy Sankaran interview]
*[http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/trichy-sankaran-emc Trichy Sankaran listing in The Canadian Encyclopedia]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sankaran, Trichy}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Ghatam players]]
[[Category:Kanjira players]]
[[Category:Canadian drummers]]
[[Category:Canadian male drummers]]
[[Category:Mridangam players]]
[[Category:Tamil musicians]]
[[Category:Musicians from Tiruchirappalli]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to Canada]]
[[Category:York University faculty]]
[[Category:Canadian Hindus]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Tamil descent]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Indian descent]]

Trichy Sankaran - Revision history

2001:569:785A:DA00:9D5:FF51:B082:35F9: /* Instrumental ensemble/fusion */