Legendary violinist MS Gopalakrishnan passes away at 82

Legendary violinist MS Gopalakrishnan, passed away in Chennai at around 2 am today morning after being admitted to a city hospital following complaints of breathlessness yesterday evening. He was 82. Fondly referred to as MSG, the violin maestro had a remarkable career spanning over fifty years. Known for his sound knowledge of both, Carnatic and Hindustani music, MSG had done vast research on violin playing techniques and had developed a new unique style called the “Parur style”. [caption id=“attachment_576938” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Screen grab from ibnlive[/caption] With artistry such as this at his fingertips, no less a violin virtuoso than the internationally acclaimed Yehudi Menuhin once remarked, “I have not heard such violin in all my travels! How superbly this young Indian is playing our instrument.” MSG was one of the most reknowned names in solo violin recitals - along with his contemporaries Lalgudi G Jayaraman and T N Krishnan. MSG was a recipient of several honours including the Padma Bhushan, Padma Sri, Kalaimamani, Sangeetha Kalanidhi and 1997 Sangeet Natak Akademi awards. He is survived by his wife Meenakshi, daughter, violinist and prime disciple M. Narmadha, violinist-son Suresh and daughter Latha.