K. P. Parameswaran (Kodunthirapully Parameswaran) (Malayalam: കെ.പി.പരമേശ്വരന് (കൊടുന്തിരപ്പുള്ളി പരമേശ്വരന്))(Tamil: கே.பி.பரமேஸ்வரன் (கொடுந்திறப்புள்ளி பரமேஸ்வரன்)) is a professional mridangam artiste (AIR 'A' Grade Artiste).He is a prime disciple of Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr.T.K.Murthy. He has performed all over India and abroad with various stalwarts of Carnatic Music. He is a torch bearer of the Thanjavur style of mridangam playing.
Early life K. P. Parameswaran was born on 17 July 1969 to Late K.S.Padmanabha Iyer and K.P.Lokanayaki in Kodunthirapully Village, Palakkad, Kerala. He was initiated to the mridangam by his grandfather Late Sri Kodunthirapully Swaminatha Iyer, who himself was a great mridangam artist who was a disciple of K.Ponnaiah Pillai, Thanjavur Vaidyanatha Iyer and Palghat Mani Iyer. Parameswaran had rigorous training under his grandfather in mridangam. He then went to Mridangam Legend Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr T.K.Murthy for the higher studies in mridangam in 1987. He had Gurukulavasam Training under Dr T.K.Murthy for 15 years (1987-2002).
Career He successfully completed Ganabhushanam Course under Sri Parassala Ravi in Palakkad Music College. While under the guidance of Dr T.K.Murthy, he played many double mridangam concerts and mridangam demonstrations with his teacher and adopted the same style as his guru in both accompanying for the songs and in the solo performances. During that time, he was awarded the central government scholarship for his prodigious and meritorious talent in mridangam and for training under Dr. T.K. Murthy. He has also played in the commercially released CD named 35 Thalas, 72 Mela Kartha Thalas & 108 Thalas, produced by his Guru, Dr. T.K. Murthy. He has accompanied many stalwarts during his illustrious career. Some of the musicians he has accompanied are listed below.
Sri. K.V. Narayanaswamy Sri. B. Rajam Iyer Sri. T.K Govinda Rao Sri. M.S. Gopalakrishnan Sri. Madurai T.N. Seshagopalan Sri. T.V. Sankara Narayanan Sri. Thrissur V. Ramachandran Smt. Radha Viswanathan Smt. Suguna Purushothaman Smt. Suguna Varadachari Smt. M.S.Sheela Smt. Panthula Rama Sri. Neyveli Santhanagopalan Sri. Karaikudi Subramaniam Sri. Vijay Shiva Sri. Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan Sri. Trichy Ganeshan Sri. Sanjay Subramanyam Sri. T.M. Krishna Sri. T.N.S. Krishna Sri. Ashok Ramani Sri. Kadri Gopalnath Sri. Mandolin Srinivas Pandit Ronu Majumdar
He is an 'A' Graded artist of All India Radio (AIR). He is a torch bearer of the Thanjavur style of Mridangam playing. Apart from playing he is also a good mridangam teacher. He has many number of disciples who are already prominent in the field.
Awards and titles Kodunthirapully Parameswaran is awarded with many titles.
Asthana Vidwan By Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham Sangeetha Thilakam By Thirvambadi Devaswom, Thrissur Laya Vadya Nipuna By Kerala Brahmana Sabha Laya Vidhyacharya Mani By Nandhikeshwar Thala Vidyalaya, Chrompet, Chennai
External links
Official Website In a Lec Dem With His Guru Dr T.K.Murthy Accompanying Smt Radha Viswanathan (Daughter of Bharat Ratna M.S.Subbulakshmi)
References
A Feature On K.P.Parameswaran By Sankar.N In Hindu on 15 June 2007 A Review Of A Concert Accompanied By K.P.Parameswaran in Hindu on 8 April 2010 A review of a concert of K.P.Parameswaran In Hindu Author: K.Ganapathi on 3 October 2008 A short Biography on K.P.Parameswaran In kutcheris.com