Renowned violin virtuoso Dr. L. Subramaniam has been conferred the prestigious Padma Vibhushan in recognition of his unparalleled contributions to the field of “art”. Padma Awards – one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in various fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc.The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.

With a career spanning over 65 years, Dr. Subramaniam stands as the world’s foremost authority on South Indian classical music and violin. Having captivated audiences from Singapore to Paris, Delhi to Los Angeles, his performances are a seamless blend of technical brilliance and emotive depth. He performed his first concert when he was 6 years old and received the best violinist prize from the President of India H.E. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan for winning the All-India Radio national competition and his career as a childhood prodigy brought him into contact with the greatest musicians and he soon imposed himself as a master of the violin. 

Dr. Subramaniam is the only musician to have mastered and recorded Carnatic classical music, Western classical orchestral compositions, film scores, jazz, jugalbandhis with Hindustani maestros, and global fusion. His pioneering global fusion concept, initiated in the mid-1970s, led to groundbreaking collaborations with legendary artists across genres. His first fusion album, Garland (1978), recorded with Danish violinist Svend Asmussen, marked a new era in world music.

A prolific composer and performer, Dr. Subramaniam has recorded over 200 albums and composed music for critically acclaimed films such as Salaam Bombay, Mississippi Masala, Gaur Hari Dastaan, and Little Buddha by Bernardo Bertolucci. His compositions have graced international orchestras, ballets, and films, making him a truly global ambassador of Indian music.

As the founder and director of the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival—India’s largest international music festival—Dr. Subramaniam has facilitated cross-cultural collaborations, bringing together over 1,000 artists from 25+ countries across five continents since its inception in 1992. His passion for music education led to the establishment of the Lakshminarayana Global Centre of Excellence, co-founded with legendary playback singer Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam. The institution offers undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. degrees in music, in collaboration with esteemed universities like Jain University, Karnataka State Dr. Gangubai Hangal University, and Vishwakarma University.

Dr. Subramaniam has also contributed extensively to the documentation of Indian classical music. His seminal works include: An Anthology of South Indian Music (1988) – A four-CD set to deepen understanding of Carnatic traditions, Classical Music of India – Co-authored with his late wife, Viji Subramaniam, and several publications on Indian and Western orchestral compositions.