Musician and musicologist Premeela Gurumurthy has made immense contributions to the art of kathakalashebham, N. Murali, president of the Music Academy, said here on Sunday.

“She has made a unique contribution to revive the art. She even brought out a book on kathakalashebham. She is a multi-faceted personality, who has given musical discourses in different languages, and also has a deep understanding and knowledge of Tamil,” he said. He also noted that musician Musiri Subramania Iyer was instrumental in persuading her and her family to shift base to Chennai as he saw talent in her very early.

P. Duraisamy, vice-chancellor, University of Madras, said she played a key role in introducing new courses, including M.A. Bharatanatyam and M.A. Folk Music at the university when she was the dean.

‘Remarkable researcher’

“She is not only a dedicated teacher but also a remarkable researcher. She has made an excellent contribution to research in the field of music,” he added. On the occasion of 50 years of her concert performances, a golden jubilee special souvenir was released.

K.N. Ramaswamy, director, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, and V.V. Sundaram, co-founder and secretary of Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana Committee, United States, spoke.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Staff Reporter / Chennai – December 04th, 2017