CHENNAI: “During his time, violin maestro Tripunithura Narayanaiyer Krishnan shared the stage with two other legendary violinists, Lalgudi G Jayaraman and MS Gopalakrishnan. But his style of music was different from that of his contemporaries. He was well-read, well-mannered and amicable,” reminisces Harishankar Krishnaswami, secretary of Narada Gana Sabha, about TN Krishnan, who passed away at the age of 92 in Chennai on Monday.
The violinist needs no introduction. A child prodigy, born in Tripunithura, Kerala, was mentored initially by his father A Narayana Iyer. He was later under the tutelage of Alleppy K Parthasarathy and then joined Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer when he moved to Chennai in 1942.
He has accompanied legends such as Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, Musiri Subramania Iyer, Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer, Charumathi Raghuraman, etc. He has won several awards and titled including Sangeetha Kalanidhi (1980), Padma Shri (1973), Padma Bhushan (1992), and more.
Speaking about what sets him apart in the cultural circle, Harishankar adds, “He is respected by everyone. While the youngsters look up to him, those older than him respected him for his way of living. Such was the life led by the gentleman!”