J. Vaidhyanathan

J. Vaidhyanathan affectionately known as JV is a Mridangam exponent from Tamil Nadu, India. He was the first mridangist to receive the Yuva Kala Bharathi Award, Vellore Gopalachariar Memorial award and Isai Peroli Award. He also received several other awards including Kalaimamani the highest civilian award for artists in Tamil Nadu and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists.

Biography J. Vaidhyanathan was born on 22 April 1965 to Carnatic musician D. K. Jayaraman and J. Jayalakshmi in Damal near Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. He was the youngest of his parents' three children. The family moved to Chennai a few years after he was born. Hails from a family of legendary Carnatic musicians, he started learning music at a very young age. Vaidhyanathan studied mridangam under T. K. Murthy.

Awards and honors Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2016 Kalaimamani (2006) from Government of Tamil Nadu Yuva Kala Bharathi Award Award from Chennai Music Academy 2019