Vainika Kesari Prashanth Iyengar

[kaiyengar]

Born into the family of musicians and scholars, the Musical genetic inheritance blossomed at the very early age of five, when any one can hardly think of playing the divine instrument due to complexity involved in playing the instrument. At the age of eight, could play keertanas like Endaro Mahanubahulu with ease.

Backed by the traditional Mysore Subbanna school of Veena, Prashanth Iyengar had his tutelage under the guidance of his mother Smt Padmasini Narasimhachar and mellowed into an artiste under the guidance of Veena Virtuoso Vidwan Lion Sri. R. K. Suryanarayana.

His constant experiment on the Instrument has helped to envisage and adapt his own style of playing the instrument with a sensational touch involving rich gamakas and varied patterns.

The sympathetic co-ordination of assortment of instrumental sound Mr. Iyengar brings out of the divine instrument is a treat to the listener's ear- the smooth and lustrous Instrumental tone produced by strokes not harsh but by a judicious understanding which produces wholesome sound. His amiability to coherence and blend various forms of music in the concerts has received accolades from the connoisseurs of music across the globe. Music, according to Iyengar, is a symbol of culture. And India, he says, has gained considerable recognition because of its musical heritage.

Prashanth Iyengar has the credit of having evolved 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.

Iyengar has been working towards revolutionizing Indian classical music — bound by plenty of rules and theories — to make it more accessible. As a part of his efforts to simplify the complex nature of classical music without distorting its structure, Iyengar has introduced music appreciation courses in his music school, Sree Rama Centre of Performing Arts, which has succeeded in catching the attention of many children, youngsters, including IT professionals.

The 25 hour marathon Veena concert by Mr Iyengar on 21 May 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 artiste.

As a teacher, Mr. Iyengar has evolved Sympathetic Training Methodology for Vocal and Veena amassed with the adaptation of Yoga and Meditation in the stream of learning with judicious understanding of the wholesome usage and application of music in the walk of life.

Mr. Iyengar is the first composer from Karnataka to have composed 'Varnams' in all the '72 Melakartha Ragas' (Taken from his website www.theveena.com)

[kaiyengar]

Youtube Link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbTEkrGJmhs

[keerthi]

Best Wishes to Vid. Prashanth. in his efforts to popularise veena music.

I want to point out that the musician Dokka SrirAmamUrtI of vijayanagaraM has composed varNa-s in all the mElakarta rAgas in the kanakangi-ratnangi scheme. He did this in the first part of the last century and is probably the first to do so.

[kaiyengar]

True, however I mean Vidwan Prashanth Iyengar seems to be the first from karnataka