A world-renowned performer of South Indian classical music will give a free concert at Dartmouth this month and visit two undergraduate classes.
Anantha Krishnan ’05, a virtuoso of the mridangam—a barrel-shaped drum central to Carnatic (South Indian classical) music—returns to campus for the first time since earning his degree in music and philosophy two decades ago. He will perform on Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. in Collis Common Ground as part of a free concert also featuring virtuoso violinist Charumathi Raghumaran and Giridhar Udupa playing the ghatam, a clay pot instrument known for its crisp, metallic tones and vital role in South Indian rhythm ensembles.
The concert is sponsored by the Department of Music and Collis Governing Board.
Theodore Levin, the Arthur R. Virgin Professor of Music and one of Krishnan’s former professors, reconnected with him during a research trip to Chennai, India, last December, where Krishnan serves on the faculty of the prestigious KM Music Conservatory.
“While it may look like a rather simple instrument, the mridangam is exceptionally sophisticated, as are the techniques of playing it in the classical raga system of Carnatic music,” Levin says. “Mridangam players are essentially applied mathematicians who must calculate in real time to devise improvisatory rhythmic patterns of great complexity.”
Krishnan, widely regarded as one of the top mridangam performers in the world, will also present in two of Levin’s classes: Global Sounds and The Language-Music Connection, co-taught with linguistics professor Laura McPherson. In these sessions, he’ll explore Carnatic drumming as a surrogate language system, offering students a rare glimpse into the communicative power of rhythm.
From India to Dartmouth and back
Krishnan began his journey on the mridangam under the guidance of his uncle and later his grandfather, the legendary performer Palghat R. Raghu. He gave his first concert at age seven and had already shared the stage with legends of Indian classical music and earned several major awards by the time he arrived at Dartmouth.
Krishnan’s decision to attend a small liberal arts college rather than a music conservatory was intentional. “Dartmouth was a gift of four years where I was able to lose myself into completely other modes of study,” he says. From electroacoustic music at the Bregman studio to philosophy with AI pioneer James Moor, and engineering projects at Thayer, his liberal arts education enriched his musical sensibilities. “Studying a variety of subjects only strengthened the deeper connection I already had to music and the mridangam.”
The mridangam’s history is steeped in mythology. “The instrument has its origins in the creation story where the cosmic dancer, Shiva, danced to the beats from this drum,” Krishnan says. “There is a very natural connection in the way the sound penetrates the human psyche and mind.”
For Krishnan, the mridangam is more than an instrument—it’s a lifelong companion and a spiritual mirror. “As much as I want to know the mridangam, the mridangam wants to know me too,” he says. “It helps me understand who I am in more specific ways. In some ways, it is a connection I complete with myself.”
Krishnan approaches rhythm philosophically. He sees rhythm not just in music, but in engines, tennis matches, and human interaction—each offering glimpses into a larger fabric of human purpose. “Rhythm, to me, is about finding a beautiful way to fall apart,” he says. “Music is about disturbing silence beautifully.”
Krishnan’s career has taken him across continents, with collaborations with major artists and performances on prestigious stages. Yet, returning to Dartmouth holds special meaning. “There is no greater challenge or joy than performing for young and critically open minds,” he says.
“In 2005, before graduation, I would attend concerts at the Hop, Rollins Chapel, sometimes Lone Pine Tavern, and wonder what it would be like to be back at Dartmouth to perform. Here goes.”