Nedumangad Sivanandan
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Ragaratnam Nedumangad Sivanandan (V. Sivanandan Nair, born 30 June 1935) is a violinist in the Carnatic tradition of India, who has been in the forefront of both teaching of the Carnatic tradition on the violin, as well as its performance on stage.[1] His contributions to Indian classical music span over 60 years.
Nedumangad Sivanandan was born to the harmonist-vocalist Neyyanttinkara Vasudevan Pillai and Dakshayani Amma in Neyyatinkara in Trivandrum district of Kerala. His family moved to Nedumangad, also in Trivandrum district, shortly after his birth. His early music training was with his father, after which he joined the Swathi Thirunal Music Academy, Thiruvananthapuram, graduating with a Ganabhushanam in music in 1954.[citation needed]
He went on to do higher studies in the violin in the Gurukula style as the disciple of one of the most famous violinists of the period, Virudunagar Ganapathiya Pillai, who was himself the disciple of the great violin Maestro Kumbakonam Rajamanickam Pillai. Since then Sivanandan has been performing on stage, as well as teaching the art of Carnatic violin to numerous disciples, many of whom have achieved professional excellence with the instrument. He continues to teach presently.[citation needed]
Professionally, he was a music teacher with the Education Department, Government of Kerala, superannuating from service in 1990.[citation needed]