Dr. R. Hemalatha

Dr. R. Hemalatha hails from a musical family and was initiated into music by her father the renowned Kanjira Vidwan, Sri K S Rangachary. Hemalatha is an accomplished Carnatic musician, musicologist, researcher and educator with more than three decades of experience in the field of Indian classical music. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor and Head Charge in the Department of Indian Music at the University of Madras, where she combines her extensive performance experience with her academic expertise and passion for teaching and research. Dr. Hemalatha holds an M.A. in Indian Music, M.Phil. and Ph.D. from the University of Madras. Her doctoral research, titled “A Study of the Ragangaragas in the Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini of Subbarama Diksitar,” reflects her deep scholarly engagement with the theoretical and historical dimensions of Carnatic music and her M.Phil. research focused on “A Study of the Desi Ragas of Post Ratnakara Period.” As a performing artiste, Dr. Hemalatha is an ‘A’ Top ranking artiste of All India Radio and Doordarshan. She received her initial training from Sri Subbanna, Tiruvallur Sri Veeraraghavalu and Sri K. Sivaraman and subsequently underwent advanced training under Sri T. S. Narayana Rao. She is also proficient in vocal music, having learnt vocal music along with her sisters (Mambalam Sisters) from Sri B. V. Raman. Over the course of her distinguished career, she has performed extensively both as a soloist and as an accompanist, sharing the stage with several senior vidwans in India and abroad. Apart from carnatic concerts, Hemalatha has also accompanied Kalyanapuram Sri Aravamudhachariar in his Harikatha performances for over 25 years. Dr. Hemalatha's contribution extends beyond performance to significant academic research and dissemination of knowledge. She has published and presented numerous research papers at national and international conferences and has presented lecture-demonstrations at leading institutions and organisations, including The Music Academy, Madras, and IIT Madras. Her research interests encompass Carnatic ragas, musical theory, composition, notation, pedagogy and the historical development of Indian music. Her excellence in the field of music has been recognised through several prestigious awards and honours. She received the "Sangeetha Sapta Sagara" from Shanthi Arts Foundation and Endowments, Chennai, and the "A. G. Ramasamy Centenary Award" from Kartik Fine Arts in 2014, "Kalaimamani" award from the Government of Tamil Nadu in the year 2015, "Vani Kala Nipuna from Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha, Chennai, in 2016 and "Sunaada Kalanidhi" by Srimad Andavan Ashramam, Srirangam in the year 2024. With her rare combination of performance excellence, academic scholarship, research and teaching, Dr. R. Hemalatha has made a valuable contribution to the preservation, study and dissemination of Indian classical music.