Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam

Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam is a Carnatic music vocalist. As a student and performer of classical music for over three decades, she has performed in India and abroad since the age of twelve. She has conducted workshops and lecture demonstrations on the various aspects of Carnatic music. She has presented papers at international conferences in many countries over the last decade. In June 2007, she brought out a book "Apoorva Kriti Manjari" – a collection of twenty rare compositions of the Trinity of Carnatic Music. The book has notations in English and Tamil by musicologist S. Balachander and the audio has been rendered by Vijayalakshmy. Vijayalakshmy was awarded the Fulbright Visiting Lecturer Fellowship in 2010. As part of the programme, she taught the subject 'An Introduction to Indian Music' at Duke University, North Carolina, USA, as a visiting Fulbright fellow (Aug – Nov 2010).

Music training
Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam started her training in Carnatic Music at the age of five under K. Padmanabhan, a disciple of Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar from the Swati Tirunal Academy, Trivandrum. She learnt detailed aspects of manodharma sangita or improvisation under the guidance of guru Sangeeta Bhushanam K. Krishnaswamy of Annamalai University. Her gurus also include Vidwans S. Rajam, T. R. Subramaniam, and V. R. Krishnan.

Fulbright Fellowship
Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam was awarded the Fulbright Visiting Lecturer Fellowship by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational Affairs in 2010. As part of the programme, she was invited as a visiting lecturer to Duke University to teach the subject "An Introduction to Indian Music" (Aug – Nov 2010) and also taught for a month at North Carolina State University, Raleigh.

Academics and scholarships
Subramaniam earned a Government of India Junior Talent Scholarship from 1977 to 1983. In 1982, she completed a Sangeet Shiromani diploma in Carnatic Music from the Music Faculty at Delhi University. From 1983 to 1985, she received a scholarship from the Sahitya Kala Parishad, New Delhi. In 1987, she completed the Sangeet Alankar, a master's level program at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, New Delhi. She was awarded a Fulbright Visiting Lecturer Fellowship in the USA in 2010. In March 2011, she earned a PhD in music from Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, with a dissertation on Tamil Composers of the Twentieth Century, which involved the assimilation and documentation of Tamil composers and a critical analysis of the musical and lyrical value of their compositions.

Albums released

 * Apoorva Kriti Manjari
 * Kritis of Annamayya – Charsur Digital Workstation
 * Raga Series – TODI – Charsur Digital Workstation
 * Kshetra Sringeri – Charsur Digital Workstation
 * Muruga Muruga – Rajalakshmi Audio
 * Madrasil Margazhi – Rajalakshmi Audio
 * Sarvanandham – Rajalakshmi Audio

Awards

 * Nada Bhushanam, Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Sabha, New Delhi, March 2012
 * M.S Subbulakshmi Award instituted by Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai, Dec 2010
 * 'Best Pallavi rendition' prize, The Music Academy, Chennai, Jan 2007
 * 'Sahityapriya' award from Kalavardhani, June 2006
 * 'Sarada Krishna Iyer award for outstanding performance' from The Music Academy, Chennai, Jan 2005
 * 'Tulasivana Puraskaram' from the Tulasivanam Parishat, Kerala, December 2004.
 * 'Sangeetha Shikamani' award form the Andhra Social and Cultural Association, Chennai, 2000
 * 'Gaana Seva Rathnam' award from the Purandara Dasar Aradhana Mahotsava Sabha, Chennai, 1997
 * 'Best Vocalist' award for the sub senior category from The Music Academy, Annual Music Festival, in 1996 and 1999
 * 'Outstanding Young Person' award from the Jaycees, Kilpauk Chamber, Chennai, 1996