Bengaluru: Vocalist RK Padmanabha has been selected for the Chowdiah Award 2026, which will be bestowed on him on November 15 during the Chowdiah Utsava and the Academy of Music Chowdiah Awards in the city.
Seven Decades of Music
Padmanabha has 70 years of singing, 50 years on stage and 60 books — including five novels and four plays on music — to his credit, just a broad outline of his accomplishments.
“I treasure this recognition as I admire Chowdiah deeply. It is an honour to receive the Chowdiah Award as I never dreamt I would become a musician of such repute; it is just the grace of the Almighty,” says Padmanabha, affectionately known as RKP in music circles.
Beyond music, he has been a teacher, author, sportsman and actor, with a multitude of albums and awards to his name.
Roots in Rudrapatna
“Rudrapatna, a small village on the banks of the River Cauvery in Arkalgud taluk of Hassan district where I was born, has a reputation for having produced a record number of Carnatic musicians. I was not born into a musical family, but the soil and air of the region instilled melody in me,” he says.
Nostalgia seeps in as he recalls childhood memories. Veterans of classical music would visit Rudrapatna during festivals as every celebration included concerts. “I would be in awe of music vidwans and their regal attire. I remember waiting for hours to steal a glimpse of Violin Chowdiah as a six-year-old, and when he blessed me, it left a lasting impact.”
Training Under Chowdiah’s Legacy
He enrolled at Violin Chowdiah’s Ayyanar College of Music in Mysore for formal training. “Chowdiah whom I considered the ‘Chakravarthy of Carnatic music’ was a soloist, master accompanist and a gymnast! He crafted a seven-stringed violin, composed kritis, acted in a movie, and trained hundreds of students. Simplicity was his hallmark and his efforts in bringing the community of South Indian artistes together through concerts was well known.”
A Wide Range
Ranga-Geete artistes (theatre musicians) often performed on the streets of Rudrapatna, and their influence is felt in RKP’s wide range, attributed to his initial exposure where open-throat singing was encouraged.
“I enacted Karna’s role when I had to sing Kumaravyasa’s poems whilst being trained by Gamaki Vasantha Lakshmi,” says RKP, who still dons the role of musical personalities for theatrical productions — the latest being his portrayal of saint-composer Muthuswamy Dikshitar. “I recently released a book of 200 Dikshitar compositions with lyrics, notations and meanings in Kannada.”
Bengaluru and Beyond
RKP arrived in Bengaluru in his late teens and graduated with a B.Sc Honours in 1970. He represented Karnataka in ball badminton and soon bagged a job at a nationalised bank. Returning to music around 1974, he trained under HV Krishnamurthy at the Vijaya College of Music. “It felt magical and due to my advanced training with HVK, I was able to hold my first concert in 1975.”
Compositions and Research
As a lyricist and composer, Padmanabha has set tunes to hundreds of Purandaradasa’s sahityas and Vadiraja’s compositions. He has penned 750 compositions of his own, mostly in Kannada, Sanskrit and Telugu.
His researched work Purandara Pitamahare? dissects the contemplative genius of the saint and explains why Raga Mayamalavagowla was introduced by him as the basic scale for foundational lessons in Carnatic music.
After documenting lesser-known aspects of Vadiraja’s visits to 10 sacred rivers in Vadiraja’s Teertha Prabhanda, he is set to share his perspective on the saints Shankara-Ramanuja-Madhwa with new compositions.
Building Institutions
RKP built the Vadiraja Kala Bhavana near Hulimavu in Bengaluru to host musical events. He helms the Karnataka Ganakala Parishat’s activities to expose rural audiences to classical music and is managing trustee of the Rudrapatna Sangeetotsava Samiti Trust, which conducts annual events.
At 78, Padmanabha says: “I want to see Bengaluru abuzz with classical melodies. One of the reasons I am passionate about spreading awareness is to maintain shaarira samskarana (voice-culture), as I believe it is paramount for musicians to use their voices with precision.”
Event Details
RK Padmanabha will be honoured with the Chowdiah Award 2026 at the Chowdiah Utsava on November 15 at 5.30 p.m. Tickets start from ₹150 on BookMyShow.
