Ghatam Suresh Vaidyanathan

Suresh is a highly regarded ghatam player.  T.V. Gopalakrishnan, became Suresh’s guru when Suresh was 12 years old, after he had learned a strong laya foundation and basics of mridangam and ghatam under the tutelage of Sri T R Harihara Sharma and ghatam maestro Vikku Vinayakaram. Suresh is an exponent of the Kothandaramaiyer Bani in ghatam playing, taught to him by Umayalpuram Narayanaswamy iyer.

As a ghatam player Suresh has gained preeminence with his unique fingering techniques, sound modulation in robust solos and aesthetic accompaniment. He is also proficient in a variety of Indian percussion instruments like mridangam, kanjira, tavil, konakkol and morsing and a few Latin percussion instruments.

 As well as playing Carnatic classical music, Suresh has an insatiable urge to learn new ideas and adapt to different styles of music. This has led to many collaborations with musicians from other genres in India and abroad.  He has performed with many renowned artistes in India and overseas.

 Besides performing regularly with reputed Jazz groups like Australian Art Orchestra, Universal World music ensemble and Noisy Mama, Suresh composes in the world music and jazz tradition and works meticulously to bring European, African and Latin American traditions of rhythm and melody into the Indian soil.

 Suresh also has composed and performed music for ballets and regularly works with reputed dancers of many genres giving new rhythmic dimensions to their works. Recently he performed on the album “So beautiful or so what” of Sir Paul Simon.