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Photo: S. Mahinsha

In tune N.S. Balakrishnan

NSB had his initial training in Carnatic music under the tutelage of his uncle, the late N.K. Akhileswara Bhagavathar and the late Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer

“It was my father N.K. Subramania Iyer’s wish that I learn to play an instrument. When he disclosed this to my uncle, the latter asked my father his choice. My father chose the violin. That’s how my violin classes began.”

When N.S. Narayanaswamy joined the Music College, Thiruvananthapuram as a teacher, NSB joined the city’s University College for a Bachelors Degree in Physics with the intention of pursuing the violin under his brother.

After graduating in 1954, Balakrishnan took up a job as a teacher at the Raja Ravi Varma High School at Kilimanoor. A year later he joined AIR as a staff artiste.

“Being a science graduate, I was put in charge of dubbing and recording at the engineering department.”

NSB is also an accomplished flautist. “There is an interesting story behind it. My brother and Kudamaloor Sivaramakrishnan were close friends. I kept asking him to teach me the flute and he agreed to do so. I bought a flute from a railway station and began training under him.”

But NSB did not pursue the flute for long as his father advised him to concentrate his attention on the violin.

“My first violin performance was with the veteran musician Parassala B. Ponnammal. I was fifteen.” However, that was not his first experience on stage. At the age of 13, he held a vocal concert which had Palghat C.R. Mani on the violin and Palghat Subbair on the mridangam.

NSB has accompanied eminent musicians such as Maharajapuram Santhanam, D.K. Jayaraman, S. Ramanathan, T.R. Mahalingam, M. Balamuralikrishna and K.J. Yesudas. According to NSB there are many talented students of music.

“This was not the scene 50 years ago. Thanks to the advance in technology, children are able to learn music in the comforts of their home. And there are many opportunities also.”

N.S. Balakrishnan stays at Chenthitai with his wife Lekshmy. His son, Subramaniam and daughter Lekshmysudha, both software engineers at Technopark, are also violinists.

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