Gakkku Outfit | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival (LGMF), started by maestro L Subramaniam in the memory of his father, violinist V Lakshminarayana Iyer, turns 35 this year. The five-city show will conclude on January 25 at Sri Sathya Sai Gram in Muddenahalli near Chikkaballapura, 56 km from Bengaluru.
“I cherish my father’s efforts to make the violin the center stage rather than a side instrument,” says L Subramaniam. “His dream of bringing the violin to global stages came true as the LGMF grew year after year with the participation of international musicians.”
He added, “For the first time, this edition of the festival features symphony orchestras, choirs and ballets from different countries; this is a gratifying development.”
once Upon a Dream
Subramaniam says, about a century ago, the violin was a foreign instrument in India and was adopted as accompaniment in Indian classical music compositions. “My father envisioned a solo role for the Indian violin like its counterpart in Western classical music.”
V Lakshminarayan Iyer Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“To do this, she had to develop innovative bowing and fingering techniques suitable for solo performance. MS Subbulakshmi sang the prayer song at the first edition of the LGMF in Chennai; since then, the festival has grown steadily with shows in 30 countries and more than 75 cities,” says Subramaniam, whose wife, playback singer Kavita Krishnamurthy, is the festival director.
Lakshminarayan came from a humble background where he struggled to support the family, yet he ensured that his children had a musical upbringing. He worked as a visiting professor at Jaffna College in Sri Lanka in the 1930s, as he was struggling in India as a musician. “We returned to India in 1958 during the riots. My father restarted his life after losing everything he earned. He resolved to make violin his solo instrument during this period.”
He recalls, “Subsequently, he taught many students who went on to become celebrities, including musicians like Ilaiyaraaja.”
Subramaniam says he started writing symphony orchestras by accident. Classical music conductor, Zubin Mehta asked him to write a complete symphonic piece and become the soloist of the New York Philharmonic for the India Festival in the United States. “That was in 1985, Rachna was Imagination on Vedic mantras, And since then I have composed about 40 compositions for orchestra and played on five continents.
The family’s musical legacy continues with Subramaniam’s 14-year-old grandson Mahathi, the latest addition.
Astana Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra from Kazakhstan with conductor Abzal Mukhitdin. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Subramaniam has composed over 300 symphonic performances published by Schott Music, including the Navagraha Symphony which premiered at the LGMF. “This is a special composition written for the Navagrahas based on nine ancient Sanskrit shlokas. It is a complex 50-minute piece and one of the longest compositions composed for a full orchestra. Kavita, my children Bindu and Ambi and my granddaughter Mahati will perform this composition at this festival.”
This edition of the festival will feature Kazakhstan’s Astana Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, which has presented more than 1,000 concerts over 25 years under the leadership of conductor and composer Abzal Mukheddin. Shantipriya Dance Ballet by Gakkoo Ensemble will be based on a composition performed in India in 1987.
Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival will be held on January 25 from 6 pm at Sri Sathya Sai Gram, Muddenahalli. Admission is free, log into lgmf.org for details
published – January 21, 2026 08:05 PM IST