Mumbai: Three young prodigies, all less than ten years of age, were among the 50 musicians from India who received the prestigious Sri Shanmukhananda Dr M.S. Subbulakshmi fellowship in music award from renowned flautist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia on Saturday at the Shanmukhananda hall in Mumbai.
Their young age is a testament to their exceptional talent and dedication.
The recipients included Chotu Khan (8), a popular folk singer from Rajasthan, Ayaan Deshpande (9), Ayaan Deshpande (9), Ganga Sasidharan (9) a young violinist from Kerala– a Piano player from Mumbai who created a world record and received a Gold medal at the Golden Key Music Festival in Vienna in 2023 and Ganga Sasidharan (9) a violinist from Kerala.
After receiving the award, the turban-clad Chotu Khan sang a short folk song in his shrill voice, a testament to his talent. Then, on popular demand from the audience, he sang an entire song, his voice resonating with the joy of his achievement. His pride and joy were palpable, filling the audience with hope for the future of music.
The Sri Shanmukhananda Fine Arts & Sangeetha Sabha annually organises the function on Dr M.S. Subbulakshmi’s birthday.
The fellowship, which carries a grant of Rs. 1 lakh per year for three years in any field of music, serves as a beacon of hope for young musicians. Its significance lies in its ability to nurture and support the next generation of musical talent.
“The awards were instituted by the Shanmukhananda Sabha in the year 2015 and have been conferred on 203 young musicians to encourage them in their fields” said Dr V. Shankar, President of the Sabha.
At the same event, the M.S. Subbulakshmi Sangeetha Pracharya Award was also presented to Dr Manjula Sriram, a well-known teacher who trained many young talents in Carnatic music.
The Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Pracharya Award carries a cash prize of Rs. One lakh, a citation, and a lamp.
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