ABP Exclusive: 'Everything World Sees In My Music Began With My Father', Says Dr. L. Subramaniam
In an exclusive conversation, Dr. L. Subramaniam opens up about his father’s vision, redefining the Indian violin, and Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival that keeps that legacy alive.
Few musicians have altered the global perception of an Indian classical instrument the way Dr. L. Subramaniam has. A virtuoso violinist, pioneering composer, conductor, and scholar, Subramaniam has spent decades carrying the Indian violin far beyond traditional boundaries—into symphony halls, jazz festivals, and international cultural institutions across five continents.
Yet, when he speaks about his extraordinary journey, the conversation inevitably circles back to one man: his father and guru, Lakshminarayana Subramaniam. “The face may be mine,” he says quietly, “but everything that exists today—the technique, the vision, the confidence—belongs to him.”
In this deeply personal and expansive conversation, Dr. Subramaniam opens up about his earliest memories, the trauma of displacement, the discipline of classical training, his unlikely parallel life as a medical doctor, and the birth of the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival—now entering its 35th year as one of India’s most respected international music festivals.
A six-year-old, a temple stage, and the beginning of a destiny
Dr. Subramaniam’s first public performance took place not in India, but in Sri Lanka—at the famed Nallur Kandaswamy Temple in Jaffna. He was six years old, terrified, and entirely unprepared for what would become a defining moment.
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“The organisers didn’t want me to perform,” he recalls. “It was a massive festival with thousands of people. They felt a six-year-old could ruin it.” But his father was resolute. Mid-performance, Lakshminarayana Subramaniam announced his son’s solo and handed him the violin.
“I was scared of the organisers, scared of failing, and scared of going back home,” he says, smiling now. “I don’t even remember what I played.” What he does remember is the aftermath—thunderous applause and temple authorities later claiming divine intervention. “They said God himself played through the child.”
It was an auspicious beginning, one that set the tone for a life defined by faith, discipline, and fearlessness.
Displacement, struggle, and reinvention
The family’s life in Sri Lanka came to a violent halt during the anti-Indian riots of 1958. Forced to flee overnight, they returned to India with nothing. “My father lost everything,” Subramaniam says. “We were eight people, starting from zero.”
What followed was not despair, but reinvention. Lakshminarayana Subramaniam began reshaping the role of the violin in Carnatic music, envisioning it as a solo instrument capable of commanding the same respect as Western classical soloists.
“That was radical at the time,” Subramaniam explains. “The violin was seen mainly as an accompanying instrument. My father completely re-engineered its technique so it could stand alone on the world stage.”
This vision gave birth to the legendary Violin Trio—Dr. Subramaniam and his brothers—drawing the attention of stalwarts like Palghat Mani Iyer and ushering in a new era for the Indian violin.
Medicine or music? Choosing both
Despite his musical promise, Dr. Subramaniam pursued an MBBS degree—a decision that raised eyebrows even during his medical entrance interview. “They asked me why I wanted to waste a medical seat when I had already won the President’s Award for music,” he recalls.
The choice was shaped by circumstance as much as passion. “We were financially struggling. I loved science, and becoming a doctor offered stability.” Even when a scholarship to study music in Germany came his way, his mother insisted he finish medicine first.
“It was the best advice of my life,” he says. “Without that MBBS degree, I wouldn’t have been able to pursue my PhD and Doctorate in music later.”
Breaking Barriers: Fusion, Jazz, and the orchestra
Dr. Subramaniam’s global breakthrough came when he began blending Indian classical music with Western orchestration—at a time when such experimentation was viewed with suspicion back home.
Albums like Fantasy Without Limits and Conversations—the latter with jazz legend Stéphane Grappelli—earned international acclaim, placing him alongside icons like Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis. “If you write music, you must write every note,” he says firmly. “That’s the discipline I learned from Western classical training.”
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His orchestral works followed—commissioned by international institutions, performed by leading symphonies, and championed by maestros like Zubin Mehta. Even cinema came calling, most memorably with Salaam Bombay!, which earned rare praise from Satyajit Ray. “He told me the score was perfect—not one note extra, not one less.”
Why the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival matters
After his father’s passing, Dr. Subramaniam admits he struggled to even touch the violin. “Every time I saw it, I remembered him.” The Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival, launched in 1992 on his father’s birth anniversary, became both tribute and healing.
What began in Chennai soon travelled across India and the world, becoming a platform where Indian classical music conversed freely with jazz, folk traditions, orchestras, and global sounds. “The jugalbandi culture as we know it today grew from collaborations we started decades ago,” he notes.
This year’s edition is especially ambitious. For the first time in India, the festival will present an orchestra, a choir, and a ballet together. At its heart is Navagraha Symphony—a 45-minute symphonic work based on ancient Sanskrit shlokas dedicated to the nine planetary deities.
Adding emotional depth is the participation of three generations of his family, making the performance both personal and historic.
Still nervous, still grounded
Despite a lifetime of global acclaim, Dr. Subramaniam admits the nerves never disappear. “Before every major concert, I think of Lord Ganesha and my father,” he says.
A memory of his father’s quiet encouragement before a major performance with Stéphane Grappelli remains etched in his mind. “He told me, ‘There can be only one Chakravarthy. Go and play.’ That blessing still carries me.”
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A living legacy
As the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival marks over three decades, Dr. L. Subramaniam remains clear about its purpose: honouring a man whose vision changed Indian classical music forever.
“People think I made the Indian violin global,” he says softly. “But the truth is, I’m only carrying forward my father’s dream.”
For audiences across India, the festival promises something rare—a convergence of tradition, innovation, and generations united by music that speaks across cultures, time, and continents.
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