Padma Bhushan virtuoso Dr N Rajam on how she makes her violin sing

Early morning concerts are a rarity but one without a microphone seems unthinkable. This can only be done by a musician of the calibre of violinist extraordinaire Padma Bhushan Dr N Rajam. "I look forward to a great time performing for the intimate gathering at Prithvi Theatre," she says. "It is rare to chance upon meditative and contemplative ragas in the most ineffable settings. I want to thank Shashi Vyas of Pancham Nishad [an organisation that showcases musical talent in India] for creating an experience like Udayswar."

When asked about the challenge to play without a mic, she smiles, "The challenge is more for the audience than me. Playing with volume modulation is a big part of my bowing technique so I hope the venue's acoustics help."

Born into a family of musicians in Chennai in 1938, her father, A Narayana Iyer, was a renowned Carnatic musician from whom both she and violinist brother T N Krishnan began training. "Once I had mastered the bow and finger techniques, my father asked me to train under one of the greatest Carnatic music giants Musiri Subramania Iyer," she recollects. "The emotive pull of his music has ensured that his singing is used as a yardstick to measure vocalists even today. I began playing in the gayaki style, just imitating his singing and with his support went from strength to strength."

But destiny had other things in store for her as her love for Hindustani classical saw her training under the maestro Pt Omkarnath Thakur's student in Chennai. After Class X, she wanted pursue music education for graduation, which, at just 16 years, was not possible in Chennai. Since Benares University was taking in young students, she applied.

There, Pt Thakur (music guru, musicologist and Hindustani vocalist, who was principal of Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Lahore, and later the first dean of the music faculty at Banaras Hindu University) was taken with her prowess at such a young age.

"He was so pleased that he offered to take me under his tutelage. Sensing what a big opprunity it was, my father agreed and I went to Banaras," she reminisces. There she was faced with multiple challenges like language, culture, food, music style, and also the fact that Pt Thakur didn't play the violin. "He would sit for hours in riyaz and sing. I'd sit beside him with my violin reproducing everything he sang, note for note. If it was something new and difficult I would practice it again by myself till I got it down pat."

No surprise then that this pioneer of the revolutionary gayaki ang, who has inspired many violinists to take it up since, is called the "inventor of the singing violin." Such is the drawing power of her musicality that even the untrained ear cannot resist her violin's emotional lure.

Little wonder then that Dr Rajam's name ensures sold out concerts no sooner than they are announced. She has been both Professor and Dean at the Banaras Hindu University for nearly 45 years, has recieved both the civilian honours of Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan, as well as the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi fellowship.

Her students include her daughter Sangeeta Shankar and her grand daughters Ragini and Nandini Shankar, her renowned violinist niece Kala Ramnath and briefly even Justice B N Srikishna.

Shashi Vyas of Pancham Nishad also spoke of the honour it was to have a stalwart like N Rajam perform at Udayswar. "I am sure audiences are waiting to enjoy the purity of notes and the unveiling of music from a violinist rooted in the classical tradition like Dr Rajam, who is one of the greatest contemporary exponents of Hindustani classical music."