Vellore G. Ramabhadran

Vellore G. Ramabhadran (4 August 1929 – 27 February 2012) was a Mridangam artiste from Tamil Nadu, India. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 2004.

Early years Born in Vellore, he showed interest in Carnatic music even at an early age. His father Konnakol T. P. Gopalachari, a musician himself, was running a Music Sabha in Vellore. This sabha conducted competitions in Carnatic music among children. Maestros like Kancheepuram Naina Pillai, Palghat Mani Iyer and Pudukottai Dakshinamurthy Pillai judged competitors and awarded prizes. M. S. Subbulakshmi has given a concert in this Sabha in 1936 Young Ramabhadran was fascinated by the music concerts and started learning Mridangam from his father at the age of eight. During World War II people living in Madras (presently, Chennai) evacuated the city and moved to interior towns and villages. In 1942, Thiruparkadal Srinivasa Iyengar moved from Chennai to Salem. It gave an opportunity for Ramabhadran to learn vocal music from him.

Unforgettable experience Ramabhadran recalls performing a concert for the prisoners in the Palayamkottai Central Prison in 1948 is an unforgettable experience. He accompanied M. M. Dandapani Desikar in that concert. Likewise a remarkable experience for him was the receiving of Sangeetha Choodamani award from the top Mridandam Vidwan Palghat Mani Iyer in 1975. The award was accorded by the Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai. Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, 1991 by Sangeet Natak Akademi Sangeetha Kalasikhamani, 1998 by The Indian Fine Arts Society, Chennai Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Ratna, 2012 by Sangeet Natak Akademi

Death Vellore G. Ramabhadran died on 27 February 2012, aged 82.

Disciples Vellore Ramabhadran has trained many mridangam players.One of them being Babu Rajasekaran, who accompanies Udaiyalur Kalyanaram Bhagavathar