Latest news with #TheHinduMargazhiMusicContest2025
The Hindu
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Winners of the The Hindu Margazhi Music Contest 2025 felicitated
Several winners of The Hindu Margazhi Music Contest 2025 were felicitated here on Friday. This year's contest saw nearly 1,500 entries. Carnatic and Hindustani music practitioners in three categories - children (below 12 years), juniors (13-19 years), and seniors (20-40 years) sent video recordings of their performances. Suresh Nambath, Editor, The Hindu, and L.V. Navaneeth, CEO, The Hindu Group, gave away the prizes to the winners. Varalakshmi Anandkumar, senior musician, guru, and French professor, said, the participants performed meticulously. 'There was so much effort, not just in learning the song and delivering it but the presentation as well. And with every video that we were listening to, we were thinking of the hopes and the hard work, not only of the child, but also of the parents and gurus. So, we felt doubly responsible for giving our best. There was such a volume of excellent, exquisite music,' she said. M. Nandhini, violin vidhushi and guru (of the Violin Sisters—M Lalitha and M Nandhini) thanked The Hindu for organising the competition every year and giving a platform to many youngsters. It gives them motivation to succeed in their chosen art form, when they are given a platform. 'Every year we find that the numbers of the participants swelling. The standard of music is always going up and this is a wonderful trend,' she added. V. Vetriselvakkumar, Chief General Manager (Corporate Communications), Indian Oil Corporation Limited Southern Region (who are co-sponsors for the event), said that it was always a pleasure to join hands with The Hindu. The Margazhi Music Competition, which encourages young talent, was started during the pandemic, and it has come to stay. With every passing year, the number of participants has been increasing. Indian Oil wishes the winners all the very best. The list of winners who received the prizes include: Avalur Anagha Kruti (first prize, krithi vocal-child), Anika Bhattathiripad (first prize, krithi instrumental-child), Pranav Shriram Iyer (first prize, percussion instrumental-senior), S Balaji (first prize, percussion instrumental- child), Advaith T (first prize, thukkada instrumental-child), B Nikkhilesh Siva (first prize,thukkada instrumental-junior). Disha Muralidharan (first prize, thukkada vocal-child), Atchayaharini Bharanidharan (first prize, krithi vocal-senior), Ramcharan K (first prize, krithi vocal-junior), Haripriya .N (first prize, krithi instrumental-junior), Niveditha Arun Arun (first prize, krithi instrumental-senior), Vrusha Arvind (second prize, thukkada vocal-child), Mahathi Karthik Narayanan (second prize, krithi vocal-child), Ayushmaan Sairam (second prize, percussion instrumental-child), Keerthana (second prize, thukkada vocal-senior), Bhargavi Ramakrishnan (second prize, thukkada instrumental-child). Krishna Sai (third prize, krithi vocal-senior), Isha Sudhir Rao (third prize, hindustani vocal-child), Nikesh V (third prize, hindustani instrumental-child), Tara Koushik (third prize, krithi vocal-child), Sakti Meenakshi Chebiyyam (third prize, krithi vocal junior) and Sudarshan Chariar (third prize, krithi instrumental-child).
The Hindu
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
68 chosen as winners of The Hindu Margazhi Music Contest 2025
Here are the results that you have been waiting for: the judges have chosen 68 winners from the contestants of The Hindu Margazhi Music Contest 2025. As this year, a whopping 1,500-plus entries were received and many of them had done well, the panel of judges opted to choose extra consolation prizes. Video recordings by Carnatic and Hindustani music practitioners were sent under these categories — children (below 12 years), juniors (13-19 years), and seniors (20-40 years). The Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) is the associate sponsor for the contest. Prema Rangarajan, musicologist and senior vocalist said students who send their entries should take the contest very seriously, especially juniors. They should practice well. 'The senior participants have performed much better. I saw good talents this year...,' she said. Hindustani vocalist, guru and founder of Swaraangan School for Hindustani Music in Chennai, Lalita Sharma said she was happy to see the rising number of applicants every year. 'Some people sing film songs thinking they are classical music. A little homework on genres will be nice before applying.' Varalakshmi Anandkumar, senior musician, guru, and French professor, said that year after year, the number of highly talented candidates was on the rise. Truly, at the final stage of filtering 300 and more contestants, making a decision is an agonising experience. More pitiful is the necessity to weed out certain talented singers for reasons such as lack of shruti box, video and sometimes, incorrect introductions. 'Sometimes, one feels that the junior category of 4-12 could be further subdivided as 4-8, and 9-12; but even with this wide range, we have seen some extraordinary kutty vidwans and vidwamsinis holding their own against their older counterparts,' she said. Violin vidhushis and gurus M. Lalitha and M. Nandhini said The Hindu Music Contest was when they made time to listen to different genres and styles of other teachers, and rare krithis. 'It is just great to see parents encourage children to take up music seriously, and take the time and effort to record and send entries. It is very difficult to play instruments. We only wish that these students don't give up on music because of their career...' Vijayan Bhaskar, mridangam guru and founder of Laya Sadhana, the Percussion Academy, who has been a judge for the second time, said the quality of entries was improving by the year. 'Though the number of entries was more than last year's, the contest has to reach more teachers and students. Since we judge based on what is sent by contestants, we had to listen to each entry several times before deciding the winners. Perhaps, next year the contest will graduate to a live performance round too,' he added. The names of winners and consolation prizes can be viewed at
