R. K. Padmanabha

Rudrapatna Krishnadikshita Padmanabha commonly known by his initials RKP, is an Indian Carnatic music vocalist, performer, music teacher and author from the state of Karnataka. He established "Sapta Swara Devatha Dhyana Mandira" at native village Rudrapatna, Karnataka, memorializing renowned musicians of Indian classical music. He has been serving as the president of Karnataka Ganakala Parishat since 2004. He received Kempegowda Award and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

Early life Padmanabha was born in Rudrapatna village, Hassan district, Mysore State (now in Karnataka) where he received secondary education.

Career

Padmanabha moved to Bangalore and started working at State Bank of India in early 1970s. In 1974, he joined Vijaya College of Music in Bangalore to learn music, he conducted 500 concerts, , where group learning and singing is performed. he organizes free teaching classes at some of his gatherings in Bangalore, , a recipient of Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar from the Sangeet Natak Akademi, is his disciple.

He established a cultural centre near Indian Institute of Management Bangalore where he organizes an event of goshti gayanam with his students. He has involved himself in activism to improve the welfare of Arkalgud taluk, the sub-district which his native village Rudrapatna is a part of. In 2020, he was part of an expert committee formed by Kannada University to investigate the birth place of Purandara Dasa, one of the chief founding-proponents of Carnatic music.

Padmanabha established a housing society, "Naada Loka", at Rudrapatna for musicians.

Sapta Swara Devatha Dhyana Mandira Padmanabha conceived a memorial "Sapta Swara Devatha Dhyana Mandira" at Rudrapatna, where several musicians, scholars and artists originated, in the shape of tanpura dedicated to 6 classical musicians – Kanaka Dasa, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Purandara Dasa, Shyama Shastri, Tyagaraja and Vadiraja Tirtha. Their statues lie in the memorial with a statue of Saraswati, Hindu goddess of knowledge, at the centre – each of the 7 statues representing a svara (musical note) and collectively the seven svaras of Indian classical music. Opened in 2008–09, the high memorial structure hosts an exhibition of musicians and various annual concerts. which has been organizing a music festival in the village since early 2000s, and acts as its managing trustee. Proceeds from these events are used as aid in the village. He also established Vadiraja Kala Bhavana through which he organizes music festivals and conducts workshops in gurukula format.

Vipra Vikrama'' Apart from books, he has also released several CDs with his recordings of various themes of Carnatic music.

Awards Padmanabha was conferred with Kempegowda Award in 2013 by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, the administrative body of Bangalore. He received Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the highest civilian award in the country given to performing artists, by the Government of India.

Personal life Padmanabha lives in Bangalore.