Trichy Sankaran

In 2017, he was awarded the "Tiruchirapalli Carnatic Musicians Lifetime Achievement Award". Sankaran has lived in Toronto since 1971. He is the founder of the Tyagaraja Aradhana in Toronto and is a professor of music at York University. He has regularly performed at all leading organisations in Chennai every December Music Season and continues to accompany a wide array of top ranked musicians.

• Name — Trichy Sankaran • Born — 27 July 1942 • Birthplace — Puvalur Thiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India • Instrument — mridangam, kanjira • Website — www.trichysankaran.com

Born on 27 July 1942 in Thiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India, Sankaran had his early musical training first under his cousin, P. A. Venkataraman, and later became the star disciple of the legendary mridangam maestro, Palani Subramaniam Pillai. He made his debut at the age of 13 in a concert given by the Alathoor Brothers at Nanrudayan Temple in the town of Thiruchirapalli. For Radha Viswanathan's wedding (daughter of MS Subbulakshmi), Semmangudi presented a concert for which Pazhani Subramania Pillai requested double mridangam and Trichy Shankaran was the second player at the age of 15. Since then he has performed with many significant Carnatic musicians, including Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar and T. R. Mahalingam. He won the All India Radio gold medal in 1955 and the President of India award in 1958.

Sankaran has performed far and wide at major festivals in India, Southeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and North America. With over half a century of concert experience in Carnatic music, he has accompanied over five generations of musicians.

In addition to his usual traditional settings, he has performed with gamelan, jazz, electronic, and African music ensembles, and World Drums in fusion concerts. He has performed in jugalbandhi concerts with Ustad Vilayat Khan, V. G. Jog, Zakir Hussain, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shanta Prasad, and Swapan Chaudhuri, to name a few. As a composer, Sankaran has to his credit numerous pieces in the genres of gamelan, jazz, traditional Western classical orchestra, and various instrumental ensembles respectively. Sankaran has also worked in the fields of jazz, electronic music, and free improvisation with the composers David Rosenboom, Richard Teitelbaum, Charlie Haden, Pauline Oliveros, Paul Plimley, Rajesh Mehta the Jazz Orchestra of York University, Anthony Braxton, Dave Brubeck, Glen Velez, Nexus, and World Drums. In 1996, Sankaran was commissioned by leading Canadian Bharatanatyam dancer Lata Pada, C.M., to compose a contemporary work entitled 'TimeScape', for her dance company, Sampradaya Dance Creations.

Sankaran lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is married and has two daughters.

• 1975 – Suitable for framing – with David Rosenboom and J. B. Floyd (ARC Records) • 1993 – Whirled – with Oliver Schroer (Big Dog Music) • 1996 – Oliver Schroer and the Stewed Tomatoes – with Oliver Schroer (Big Dog Music) • 1998 – Ivory Ganesh Meets Doctor Drums – with Paul Plimley (Songlines) • 1999 – Catch 21: Trichy's Trio – with Suba Sankaran and Ernie Tollar (Deep Down Productions) • 1999 – Innovative Music Meeting – with Rajesh Mehta and Rohan De Saram (True Muze Records) • 2004 – Maza Mezé: Secrets Moon Magic – with John Wyre and Suba Sankaran (CBC) • 2021 - "Speaking Hands"- with Curtis Andrews [The Offering of Curtis Andrews] (independent)

• 1990 – Laya Vinyas – Mrdangam Solo (Music of the World) • 1993 – Sunada – with Karaikudi Subramaniam (Music of the World) • 1997 – Lotus Signatures – with Dr. N. Ramani (Music of the World) • 2001 – The Carnatic Violin – with Prof. T. N. Krishnan (Kriyative World Music)

• 2001 – Kutcheri: Live at Kalakshetra – with Sanjay Subramanyan (Charsur Digital) • 2002 – Mukhari – with Chitraveena Ravikiran (Rajalakshmi Audio) • 2005 – Gajaleela – Mridangam and Kanjira Solo (Charsur Digital) • 2007 – Kutcheri: Live in Chennai – with Lalgudi G. J. R. Krishnan and Lalgudi Vijaylakshmi (Charsur Digital)** • 2007 – Live at Music Academy Madras – with Malladi Brothers (Rajalakshmi Audio)** • – Forthcoming

• 2011 - "RhythmWise: The Art of the Korvai" (with Ken Shorley). Wolfville, NS.