H K Venkatram

HK Venkataram (HKV) was born into a musical family and received his training from his illustrious father and guru, Sangita Kalaratna Professor H.V. Krishnamurthy. Venkataram began learning the violin at the age of 8 and gave his first public performance in Bangalore at the age of 11. HKV is one of the most accomplished and sought-after violinists in the field of Carnatic music. He is the recipient of the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 2023 from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. HKV is a Top Grade artist with All India Radio and has traveled extensively, giving solo and accompaniment performances at prestigious sabhas both in India and abroad for nearly four and a half decades. He has also performed in the USA, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and the United Kingdom. HKV is renowned for his deep understanding of the nuances of Carnatic music and his adherence to its classical traditions. His playing is characterized by depth, knowledge, sincerity, and maturity. Over the years, HKV has accompanied many top-ranking musicians in Carnatic music, including Sri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, Dr. RK Srikanthan, Smt. DK Pattammal, Dr. M.L. Vasanthakumari, Sri KV Narayanaswamy, Dr. RK Srikanthan, Sri Nedanuri Krishnamurthy, Dr. N. Ramani, Sri TN Seshagopalan, Sri TV Sankaranarayanan, Mandolin U. Shreenivas, Dr. Nagamani Srinath, Shri S. Shankar, and others. HKV has also given several Carnatic-Hindustani Jugalbandi performances with stalwarts, including Pt. Vishwamohan Bhatt, Pt. Ronu Mazumdar, Ustad Shahid Parvez, Smt. Nagamani Srinath, Smt. Shyamala Bhave, Sri S. Shankar, and Pt. Vinayak Torvi. HKV is the Principal of Vijaya College of Music, a premier institute established in 1953 in Bangalore, where he imparts music education to hundreds of students. A multifaceted personality, HKV combines the roles of a performer, teacher, music conductor, organizer, administrator, computer engineer, and philanthropist. HKV has been recognized by various organizations for his outstanding contributions to Carnatic music. In addition to the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, HKV has received several other prestigious titles and awards, including "Sri Rama Karunya," "Parimala Prashathi," "Ganakalashree," "Gaanavaradhi," "Satyashree," "Kannada Tilaka," and the title of "Asthana Vidwan" from Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, Kanchipuram. HKV is one of the rare individuals who successfully pursues two careers (Music and Engineering) in parallel, striving for excellence in both fields. He has become a role model for the younger generation. He has been invited by various corporate companies and educational institutions to share his journey of successfully managing both a music career and a corporate career, inspiring professionals and students to pursue dual interests with passion. HKV worked as a Senior Director at Intel Corporation in the Research & Development Group. With over 37 years of experience in the semiconductor and IT industries, he worked at Intel since 1995. His expertise lies in System & Architecture Engineering, and he is credited with building a world-class System Engineering Research and Development team in India. Beyond his accomplishments as an outstanding violinist, HKV has also leveraged his technology skills to propagate Carnatic music to the masses. In September 2024, HKV took voluntary retirement from Intel and now dedicates most of his time to music. He remains connected to the field of technology by serving as a consultant to an IT startup and as an advisor to several engineering universities. Additionally, he serves as a Cultural Ambassador at Sri Vani Kala Kendra, Bangalore.