Sangita Kalanidhis

The Lalgudi Duo

Lalgudi GJR Krishnan & Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi

Lalgudi Krishnan and Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi belong to the fifth generation in the sishya parampara of Saint Tyagaraja — groomed by their grandfather Sri Lalgudi Gopala Iyer and their legendary father, Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman.

The duo is best known for their scintillating violin duet concerts — marked by pristine classicism, exquisite melody, intricate rhythm, and engaging impromptu raga and swara repartees. Though both torchbearers of the Lalgudi bani, their styles are distinct and contrasting, complementing each other in a way that enhances the beauty of every concert.

Together they have collaborated on orchestral works such as Raga Rasa and full-length dramas including Sambhavami Yuge Yuge and Oozh: The Divine Destiny. They have each performed jugalbandis with leading Hindustani musicians, blending seamlessly with the Hindustani idiom while staying true to their Carnatic identity.

Krishnan has focused exclusively on solos and duets, while Vijayalakshmi continues to accompany contemporary stalwarts. As composers, Krishnan has worked with dancers on productions such as Jagat Pavani Ganga, while Vijayalakshmi has composed varnams, thillanas, and tuned works of Adi Sankara, Mahakavi Bharathiyar, and Kaviyogi Shuddhananda Bharathi.

Both have been jointly honoured with the prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi award for 2022 by The Music Academy, Chennai. They also share the Sangeetha Choodamani, Kalaimamani, Sangeetha Rathnakara, and the National Eminence Award, among many others.