SRIMUSHNAM VENKATARAMANA RAJARAO
Akademi Award: Carnatic Instrumental Music (Mridangam)

Born in 1955 in Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu, Shri Srimushnam V. Rajarao received his initial training in Mridangam from his father Shri S. Venkataramana Rao. He was later a student of Shri Kumbakonam M. Rajappa Iyer. He has received training in Carnatic vocal music from eminent teachers including Sarvashri Papanasam Sivan, Calcutta Krishnamurthy, and Mayuram Vaidyanatha Iyer.

Shri Rajarao has over the years established himself as a Mridangam player, and has performed extensively in music festivals in India and abroad. He has accompanied many eminent Carnatic musicians, vocalists and players of instruments notably Sarvashri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, T.R. Mahalingam, Balamuralikrishna, T.N. Seshagopalan, T.N. Krishnan, Lalgudi Jayaraman, R.K. Srikantan, T.V. Sankaranarayanan, among others. He has also played with outstanding musicians of the Hindustani stream. Besides Mridangam, he plays the Kanjira and Morsing. He is often to be heard on All India Radio and Doordarshan.

Shri Rajarao has received a number of honours for his work. These include the title of Kalaimamani bestowed by the Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Manram (1999), and an award of the Kanchi Mahaswamy (2010). He has worked as a visiting professor of Mridangam at the University of California at Berkeley, USA.

Shri Srimushnam V. Rajarao receives the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution to Carnatic instrumental music.