Profile                                                               

Born on 8th December 1953 in the star Poorvashadam at Karamana, Trivandrum as the second daughter to Late P. Padmanabha Iyer and Smt. VP Bhagayalekshmi. She is the grand daughter of Late A. Padmanabha Iyer, author of illustrated works like Modern Travancore, Modern Mysore, Dussehra Festivals, collected works of important events of Travancore, etc , and a powerful journalist whose writings reflected the life and times of those days. Due to this, many important VIPs and Musicians were regular visitors to their house. This atmosphere of music, discussions generally created a music environment and naturally, Music came to her very easily. More over Karamana agraharam which is the centre for frequent vocal concerts by eminent artists also kindled her taste.

Her eldest sister, late Smt Meenakshi Subramoniam was also a well known musician, who worked as Professor in Swati Thirunal Music College, RLV Music College and retired as the Principal  of  Chembai college of music, Palakkad.  Dr. B. Pushpa Krishnan was introduced and trained in the basics of carnatic music by her mother from her younger days. After schooling, she joined HH Maharaja’s College for Women where she did her graduation and Post Graduation in Music. She topped as the first Ranker. She is also an expert Veena Player and an established musician and musicologist. 

From her childhood onwards, her skills in music were fine tuned by her Gurus Padmasree Parasala Ponnammal and Late Prof  M.K. Mohanachandran.  She is the  direct disciple of Padmasree Parasala B. Ponnammal.

She was awarded Ph.D. Degree for her research on “Contributions of Mahararaja Swati Tirunal to Music” under the guidance of the renowned Scholar and Musicologist Dr. S. Sita, Professor & Head, Department of Music, University of Madras in 1982.

Her  academic career spans over 35 years.  She worked in Government College Chittur, Swati Tirunal College, amd Womens College, Trivandrum.  She  is one of the founding members of Department of Music, University of Kerala.  She superannuated as Professor and Head, Department of Music, University of Kerala   in 2014.

She held high and responsible  positions in the  various universities  viz.,  Senate Member,  Academic Council member Chairman of various board of studies, Dean Faculty of Fine Arts  in  Music under  university of Kerala  Member of Board of Studies  in Tirupathy University, Padmavathi Univsersity, Andhra University.

She  was also

• External expert Selection / Screen Committee for recruitment / reemployment of teachers in Dept. Of Musicology, Rabindra Bharathi University, Kolkata.
• Editor, “Nadamritham” – Kerala University Research Journal of music
• Expert Member of the Committee for Chembai Memorial award constituted by Government of Kerala.
• External Evaluator for SLET Examination – Avinasha Lingam Deemed University, Coimbatore
• Subject Expert, Interview Board, Kannur University.
• Resource person in Refresher courses in Malayalam and Sanskrit Department., UGC Academic Staff College, University of Kerala.
• Expert member for Ph.D. Evaluation – Tamil University, Tanjore. & Madurai Kamaraj University.
• Chairman of Board of Examination, MA. & BA – Kerala University & Calicut University.
• External Examiner, MA (Music), Bangalore University
• Chairman, Board of Paper setters for Calicut University BA & MA, SLET, SET, K-TET
• Lecture Demonstration on Kerala’s Musical Tradition & importance of music concert to the Delegates from University of Wisconsin’s

Produced 33 Ph.D.s  under her guidance and evaluated more than 57  Ph.D. theisis & evaluated more than 52 M. Phil thesis of Kerala and other universities like Tanjore, Madras, Madurai, Bangalore, Andhra, Tirupathy, Calicut, Delhi,  Sree Sankara University, Kannur University etc.  In Kerala the maximum number of Ph.D.s produced in Music  is Dr. B. Pushpakrishnan.

She has published more than 80 research articles on Music in different journals, souvenirs and magazines.  She has published more than 13 books and released a number of albums, and CDs.  She has also released few CDs for easy learning of Carnatic music for beginners and music lovers.

She has composed a number of Jatiswarams, Geetams & kritis. She has composed  chittaswarams for more than 300 compositions of various   Vaggeyykaras.

She has set music  to more than 350 compositions of different vaggeyakaras both in and outside of Kerala.

She prepares students for vocal concerts. Perhaps she is the only teacher who has a large number of disciples in music in Trivandrum. She runs a Music Institution named “Brehath Sangeetha Kendram” which has more than 400 students.

She has unerthered 15 unpublished Sanskrit compositions of Irayinman Thampi which were set to music and uploaded in YOUTUBE.  Another remarkable work is bringing out compositions of Vaggeyakaras of the great composers Like Lekshmi Kishna, Ennapadam Venkataramana Bhagavatar, Prof. R. Srinivasan, Lalithadasr, Mangalam Ganapathy, K. C. Kesavapillai, K. N. Gopalapillai, Mahakavi Kuttamath and so on.

All these compositions were set to music and uploaded in you tube.  These compositions were gems which is not known to music lovers nor sung in concerts.

LIST OF KRITHIS

I

Brehath Sangeetha Kendram is presenting some unique and rare Kritis of the Vaggeyakaras of Kerala (Ennapadam Venkitaramana Bhagavatar, Mangalam Ganapati, Lakshmi Krishna, Mahakavi Kuttamath Kunjukrishna kurupp, K.N.Gopala Pillai, Lalitha Dasar, Prof. R Sreenivasan, Smt. Rukmini Bhai Thampuratti, Kerala Sangeethacharya Dr.B.Pushpakrishnan) based on Ragas in their alphaphetical order A to Y. These have not been sung by any one so far. These kritis are set to music in their respective ragas by Kerala Sangeethacharya Dr. B. Pushpakrishnan, Former Prof. & Head, Department of Music, Trivandrum. The kritis are rendered by the Faculties of Brehath Sangeeth Kendram.

(1 to 103)

II

Ragadalam -II exclusively Siva Kritis-NOT rendered by anyone so far.

(104 to 114)

III

Mysore Veena Sheshana,(1856-1926)an exponent in Veena has enriched Music World by contributing Swarajathis,Varnams,Padams,Keerthanams & Thillanas in the languages Telugu and Kannada.Though some of his Musical Forms are generally heard,his Keerthanams are not so popular.Brehath Sangeetha Kendram is happy to present 13 of his Gems,tuned by Kerala Sangeetha Acharya Dr.B.Pushpakrishnan and performed by faculties of Brehath Sangeetha Kendram.

(115 to 127)

IV

Carnatic music is the storehouse of lakhs of compositions. Only a very few have been sung in concerts. Brehath is presenting, in this episode, eight Sanskrit Kirtanas of prominent eight vaggeyakaras like Mysore Sadasiva Rao, Annaswami Sastri, Periyaswamy Thuran, Papanasam Sivan, Irayimman Thampi, Lalitha Dasar, Prof. R.Sreenivasan, and K.N. Gopalapillai, sung by the faculties of Brehath Sangeeth Kendram. These beautiful gems have not been rendered so far by anyone. The kirthanas are performed with manodharma svaras, which also glorify the compositions. All these compositions are tuned by Kerala Sangeethacharya Dr.B. Pushpakrishnan, Former Prof. & Head, Department of Music, Kerala University, Trivandrum.

(128 to 135)

V

Compositions of South Indian composers

(136 to 151)

VI

Devi kritis of different vaggeyakaras

(152 to 180)

VII

Unpublished Sanskrit kirtanas of Kerala Composer Irayimman Thampi, the renowned musician and composer in the Maharaja Swathi Tirunal’s court.

(181 to 200)

• She has given Vocal Concerts in reputed Sabhas in and outside Kerala during festivals in Rajakamangalam, Kalakkad, Tirunelveli, Tiruvarur, Tiruvayyar, Madurai, Chennai, Brahmolsavam in Tirupathy.
• She has performed in Adi Sankara Jayanthi Festivals in Kalady and Trivandrum.
• She has given vocal concerts in Navaratri Sangeetholsavam, Kalady, Kollam, Trivandrum
• She has given vocal concerts in Guruvayoor Chembai Sangeetholsavam, Kerala Sangeetholsavam, Brehath Sangeetholsavam.
• She has organized Group Performances in various Sabhas along with her Sishyas.

She was bestowed with the title Kerala Sangeetha Acharya by the Samskriti and Tunchan Cultural Sabha, Chembai Award for best Karnatic  musician, Sree Swathi Chitra Puraskaram, Best Artist and Teacher for Samagraha Sevanam of Carnatic Music, Cash award and title from Travancore Palace for her Thesis on Maharaja Swati Tirunal  and so on.

• Life Member Alumni Association, University of Kerala.
• Life Member of Swati thirunal Sangeetha Sabha, Trivandrum
• Life Member Bharat Scouts & Guides, Kerala Chapter
• Hon. Adviser, Brehath Sangeeth Kendram, Trivandrum
• Executive Member, Samskrithi, Trivandrum.