T. K. Murthy


Thanu Krishna Murthy, better known as T. K. Murthy, is an Indian Mridangam player. Murthy is a recipient of the Padma Shri and Sangeetha Kalanidhi awardee awards.
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Personal life

Thanu Krishna Murthy was born on 13 August 1924 to Thanu Bhagavathar and Annapurni. His father, a Carnatic musician, began teaching him music at the age of three, recognizing his interest in percussion instruments. He was given a Mridangam by his mother, Annapurni, and began taking lessons from his elder brother, Gopalakrishnan. Murthy later received formal training from Thanjavur Vaidyanatha Iyer, the founder of the Thanjavur style of Mridangam. Under Iyer's guidance, Murthy traveled to Tanjore for advanced training alongside Palghat Mani Iyer and Thambuswami
Murthy came from a lineage of court musicians and was the fifth generation in his family to pursue music. The family's musical heritage extends across seven generations. His son, T.K. worked as a music composer at All India Radio. and his grandson, Karthikeya Murthy, is a film score composer.

Recognition

Murthy's honors and awards include: