Professor T N Krishnan is one of the most respected, renowned and reputed classical musicians of India. As a violinist, he has been at the very pinnacle of his field for several decades.
Krishnan hails from an illustrious family of musicians. He was born on 16 October 1928 in Parur (Kerala) and was noted, even in his formative years, for his musical abilities and precocious talents.
He had his initial training from his father Sri A Narayana Iyer and later on, from Sri K Parthasarathy Iyengar. Later, he was tutored by the legend, Sri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer. His aesthetically rich style also draws inspiration from the renowned violinist, Sri Papa Venkataramiah.
He gave his first concert at the age of eight and was featured on All India Radio from the age of ten. From a young age, T N Krishnan had the opportunity to accompany several acclaimed vocalists such as Arikudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Musuri Subramanya_iyer, Chembai Vaidhyanatha Bhagavathar, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and G N Balasubramaniam. He has accompanied these maestros and others in inumerable concerts. More recently he has featured as a soloist and also gives violin (duo and trio) concerts with his daughter, Viji and son, Sriram.
His programs have been aired by many radio and television stations including All India Radio, BBC, Radio Germany, Singapore Broadcasting Corporation, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and Doordarshan.
Over his extensive career he has been awarded many prestigious awards and titles of which he received the prestigious Padma Sri and Padma Bhushan in1992.