M. Balachandar

🪔 About

M. Balachandar is a highly respected Carnatic mridangam artist and educator, currently based in London, UK. He serves as the Resident Mridangam Teacher at The Bhavan, London, a position he has held since February 1995. Born in Madras (now Chennai) into a Telugu family, Balachandar comes from a strong musical lineage; his late father, Sri K. Mutukrishnan (also M. Krishnan), was a renowned mridangist and lecturer, particularly in the field of Bharatanatyam. Balachandar began his mridangam training at the age of eight and became a professional mridangist by the age of 15, with his arangetram taking place in 1987. He received his foundational training from esteemed gurus Sri Coimbattur Ramaswamy Pillai and Sri Ramanathapuram M.N. Kandaswami Pillai, both of whom were disciples of the legendary Palani Subramaniam Pillai. Balachandar has also pursued advanced studies in Kanjira and rhythmic calculations with Mayavaram G. Somasundaram. Throughout his illustrious career, M. Balachandar has accompanied some of the greatest Indian classical musicians and dancers, performing in 26 countries. His collaborations include sitar legend late Pandit Ravi Shankar (Hindustani music), Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, T.V. Gopalakrishnan, M.S. Gopalakrishnan, and T.N. Krishnan. He has also been a favored accompanist for prominent dancers such as Dr. Padma Subramaniam and Alamel Vali, and has worked with N.V. Narasimhachari, accompanying Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, and Kathak dancers. As an educator, Balachandar is known for his innovative teaching style, which combines adherence to traditional techniques with his own approach. He specializes in the Palani Subramaniya Pillai style (Pudukottai school) and is noted for exclusively using a specific technique devised by PSP, involving the second finger for "Nam" and "Dhin." His pedagogy at The Bhavan, which has a thriving Carnatic music and dance department with at least fifty mridangam pupils, emphasizes rhythm comprehension, composition of rhythmic patterns (Laya Vinyasam), and their practical application in concerts. Several of his former students have achieved professional success, notably Pirashanna Thevarajah, a senior disciple recognized as a versatile percussionist who has toured with Anoushka Shankar and performed with many other renowned artists.