N. Rajam

Dr. N. Rajam (born 8 April 1938, Chennai) is the doyen of Hindustani violin and a Padma Vibhushan awardee, celebrated as the pioneer of the Gayaki Ang — the technique of reproducing the singing voice on the violin — earning her the epithet "the Singing Violin." Born into a family of Carnatic musicians, she mastered the Carnatic style before transitioning to Hindustani music after learning raga development from the legendary vocalist Omkarnath Thakur. She served as Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Performing Arts at Banaras Hindu University, and received the 2012 Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship — the highest honour in Indian performing arts. Her daughter Dr. Sangeeta Shankar and granddaughters Ragini and Nandini Shankar continue her distinguished musical lineage.