In tune with versatility: Kannan Balakrishnan                  

By V. Balasubramanian

Coming from a family celebrated for its musical heritage, Kannan Balakrishnan’s mastery of music is no surprise. From a young age, he garnered acclaim for his virtuosity on the veena, studying under the esteemed Vasantha Krishnamurthy and Pichumani Iyer. He also excelled in rendering ragas, guided by veena maestro S. Balachander. In addition to his stringed expertise, Kannan has achieved recognition as a percussionist. Despite his lack of formal training in percussion, his adeptness with instruments like the suddha maddalam and the khanjira has won him considerable praise.

Born on 26 June 1964, Kannan demonstrated an early talent for music. He won the Young Veena Artist award from the Narada Gana Sabha in 1995 and other awards from cultural institutions such as the Sri Krishna Gana Sabha and The Music Academy, Chennai.

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