T. M. Thiagarajan

T. M. Thyagarajan (28 May 1923 – 27 June 2007) fondly known as TMT was a Carnatic vocalist and musicologist from Tamil Nadu in Southern India. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1981.

Family background He hails from an illustrious family in Thanjavur famous for music and dance. His grandfather and great-grandfather were Asthana Vidwans in the Baroda court. Even now members of this family are living in Vadodara with the family name Thanjavurkar.

Thiagarajan's father is Mahalingam Pillai, a mridangam maestro and his mother is Seethalakshmi Ammal.

Training in music

Thiagarajan started learning music from his father. Later, he became a disciple of Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and had advanced training under him.

Music programs He performed his first stage concert at Thiruvaiyaru when he was only eight years old. A senior artist Pudukottai Dakshinamurthi Pillai, who accompanied him on mridangam was delighted with the boy's performance. At the end of the concert, Dakshinamurthi Pillai took the boy in his arms and blessed him. Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, 1982 by Sangeet Natak Academy Sangeetha Choodamani, 1974 by Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai New raga Thyagaraja Mangalam created and named after T. M. Thiagarajan by Mahesh Mahadev in 2021

Death After a prolonged illness T. M. Thiagarajan died on 27 June 2007 in Chennai.