Gayatri Sankaran
Dr. Gayatri Sankaran is an Indian Carnatic musician and vocalist specialising in Carnatic vocals and violin performances. She is a recipient of the Kalaimamani award from "Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Manram", a unit of the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Tamil Nadu. The Government of India honoured her in 2006 with the award of Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award for his contributions to music, making her the first visually impaired woman to receive the award. Biography. Dr. Gayatri Sankaran is a Carnatic Vocalist, Violist, Veena exponent. She hails from Samalkot, Andhra Pradesh  and moved for long term to Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai. She started learning music at the age of three, from her mother, Subbulakshmi Gurunathan and later from Allamraju Someswara Rao. This brought her the opportunity to learn music at Kalakshetra of Rukmini Devi Arundale when the renowned danseuse was impressed with the young Gayatri where she learned under Pudukkodu Krishnamurthy and Vairamangalam S Lakshminarayanan and secured diploma and post graduate diploma in vocals and violin. She learnt violin under the guidance of Pakkala Ramados. Later, she had training under Lalgudi Jayaraman and under K. J. Yesudas, both renowned musicians. She started performing  as a violin- accompanist. She joined the All India Radio as a staff artist to start her career in 1988 and continues to work there as a "Top Grade" artist in Carnatic music and "B High" Grade artist in light music and violin. She received a doctoral degree (PhD) for her thesis, "Stylistic Analysis of Kalidaikurichi Vedanta Bhagavatar", from the University of Madras and teaches Carnatic Music for many students in-Person and Online from her home in Tiruvanmiyur She is reported to have developed braille notations for music and has performed at various places in India and abroad. She  is also a member of the Programme Committee of the South Zone Cultural Centre, Ministry of Culture and the Awards Selection Committee Member of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. Gayatri, an empanelled artist of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), is a recipient of several awards and honours such as "National Award for Role Model" from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, "Surmani" from the Sur Singer Samsath, Mumbai, "Isai Chudar" from Lioness club of South Chennai, "Special Pallavi Singer" from Krishna Gana Sabha, "Best Teacher award" from the Maragatham  Chandrasekhar Trust, "Gana Kuyil" award from the Canada Hindu Cultural Council and the Professional Excellence Award from the Rotary Club of Madras. She has also received the Indian Fine Arts Society award thrice, World Telugu Federation award, "Padma Sadhana" award, Ascendas Excellence award and "Swarna Tarangini" award from Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development. The Government of India awarded her the civilian honour of Padma Shri from Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam in 2006, making her the first visually challenged woman to receive the award. Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Mandram of the Government of Tamil Nadu awarded her the  title Kalaimamani in 2011.