K. Arun Prakash

K. Arun Prakash, born on 3 May 1968 in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, is a distinguished Carnatic percussionist and composer specializing in the mridangam. Born to Vasantha Krishnan and music composer L. Krishnan, he began learning mridangam at age nine under the tutelage of maestro Ramanathapuram M.N. Kandaswamy Pillai and started performing in concerts by age eleven. Known for his distinctive style where silence becomes an ally, the moments when his fingers are off the drum define his music as much as the beats themselves. He has received the Best Mridangist award from The Music Academy, Chennai, in 1994, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, and 2013, and was the first percussionist to receive the Kalki Memorial Award in 2000. Arun Prakash has toured extensively across the United States, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Middle East. He has also composed tillanas and numerous pallavis performed by many prominent musicians.