Dr Tadepalli Lokanatha Sarma to receive Sadguru Sangeetha Vidwanmani award
The Carnatic vocalist will be honoured on November 22 at the 33rd annual music festival of Sadguru Sangeetha Sabha in Vijayawada.
Carnatic vocalist Dr Tadepalli Lokanatha Sarma will receive the 'Sadguru Sangeetha Vidwanmani' award during the 33rd annual music festival of Sadguru Sangeetha Sabha. The award will be presented on November 22 at the Gokaraju Laila Gangaraju Kala Vedika in Vijayawada.
The festival is scheduled to take place from November 16 to 22 at the Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao Government College of Music and Dance, Durgapuram. The award recognises Dr Sarma's contribution to Carnatic music for more than six decades.
Born in Tenali in 1945, Dr Sarma received training from musicians including Chittoor Subramania Pillai, Musiri Subramania Iyer, Tiruppamburam Swaminatha Pillai, and T. Brinda. He holds a doctorate from Mysore University for research on musical instruments and Sanskrit musical literature.
An All India Radio Top Grade artiste, Dr Sarma has composed music for compositions by Purandaradasa, Annamacharya, and Bhadrachala Ramadasu. He has also contributed to music education and research.
His previous honours include the Kalaimamani from Tamil Nadu and the Andhra Pradesh government's Kala Ratna (Hamsa) award in 2026. Sadguru Sangeetha Sabha has presented the Vidwanmani award to musicians for over three decades.