Avasarala Kanyakumari

Floor Speech

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Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Madam Speaker, today I wish to honor the life and talent of Avasarala Kanyakumari, a revered master violinist, composer, and teacher in the Indian Carnatic musical tradition.

Born in the city of Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, India, Kanyakumari began her musical life on the violin at the age of eight. Blessed with an abundance of natural talent and nurtured by her family and dedicated teachers--including the eminent violinist Maestro Ivaturi Vijayeswara Rao--Kanyakumari was soon performing in small concerts and building a reputation as a musical prodigy.

After graduating high school, Kanyakumari moved to Chennai, where she continued her education and her musical career as an accompanist and soloist of great renown, deeply admired by critics and aficionados alike for her technical skill and exquisite musicality.

The Indian Government recognized her talent and contributions to Indian music and culture with the Padma Shri Award in 2015. The following year, Kanyakumari was honored with the Kalaimamani Award from the state of Tamil Nadu, and the prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi Award from the Madras Music Academy.

Kanyakumari is revered for her commitment to cultivating the next generation of Carnatic musicians. She offers her services without charge, as her way of paying it forward and honoring the contributions made by her teachers to developing her talents. And Kanyakumari is a wonderful musical ambassador, sharing the beauty of the Carnatic tradition with music lovers all over the world. (I was especially moved by a recent rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner on this Fourth of July, performed by Kanyakumari and her student disciples.)

Madam Speaker, I want to recognize the contributions of maestro, guru, and composer Avasarala Kanyakumari to Indian music and culture, and the gift of her talent to the millions of devotees of the Carnatic musical tradition.

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