Lydian Nadhaswaram: The Mozart from Madras

A few months ago, 13-year-old Lydian Nadhaswaram won one million dollars in an American global talent show, World's Best, for his musical prowess. When the results were announced, he looked up to his father to share a heart-tugging emotional moment, having impressed the judges by playing 325 beats per minute. And that’s how Nadhaswaram shot to fame as a prodigy who can play the piano, drums, tabla, mridangam, guitar, melodica and the harmonica. Although, what actually got him ‘viral’ popularity are the videos on Youtube where he plays two different pianos simultaneously! That's certainly what impressed talk show host Ellen Degeneres when he appeared on her show.

And if you're wondering how he has been able to perfect all these instruments at such a young age, Nadhaswaram attributes it to the other side of the prodigy coin - practice! “Practice is the only reason I have reached this level of proficiency,” he , over email even as he prepares to fly down to the city from the US to perform here for the first time.  

So, even though he can afford to rest on his laurels (and the million dollars), Nadhas waram says his days are filled with practice and more practice. But that shouldn’t be tough for him as he has courted hard work for most of his young life. He spent four years learning at maestro A R Rahman’s K M Music Conservatory in Chennai and ever since that has been training under his musician father Varshan Satish. He doesn’t go to a regular school which means he is also the envy of kids his age. Instead, he gets home-schooled.

His emotions are clear over data bytes when he replies, “Never!” when asked if he missed the daily routine of going to school.

His idea of fun? Well, the answer is quite unexpected. “Playing music blindfold.”

One of the ways he indulges in music is to pick a movie on Youtube, mute the volume and play out his own score. That points towards a talent in composing music which is what he wants to do eventually - to score music for the movies. Like his mentor A R Rahman perhaps?

Lydian’s accomplishments thus far - at age 10, he sailed through the Grade 8 piano examination conducted by Trinity College in London; He is the winner of awards like Cicely Goschen Shield, the Amy De Rozario Cup, the PP John Memorial Prize and the Rajagopal Menon Prize. But he shares one accomplishment with Ilairaja, A R Rahman, L Subramaniam and L Shankar; which is to have a Trinity certificate or diploma. Stunning musicians with his perfect pitch and musical memory - the prodigal elements - Michael Novogratz, from the Novogratz family, a big name and patron of culture in New York - promised Nadhaswaram, a Steinway piano as a reward for playing perfectly at his residence in New York City. The piano did arrive in Chennai, and coincidentally, on Nadhaswaram’s birthday.

As of now, Nadhaswaram’s hopes for the future are simple. “I just want to stay blessed with good health and music,” he said. In spite of all the musical instruments he can play, he would “love to learn the violin”. His present is packed (apart from practice) with performing music concerts. “I travel within India and overseas at least once every week,” he says. But travel is a happy compromise because if it weren’t music, little Nadhaswaram says he would love to “enjoy touring the beautiful world with family”, his parents and sister. Right now, very diplomatically for his age, he calls all musicians who “perform and compose good music” as his favourites. The stress, he notes, is on “good music”.

It is good music that the city’s audience can expect as Nadhaswaram talks of his plans to play Western classical and Jazz. “Not revealing the setlist,” he notes with a chuckle (in emoticon).

There is one last question that needs to be answered. How did you get your name? “Well, my father gave it me,” he says. “ 'Lydian is a ‘mode’ in music and Nadhaswaram is a wind instrument. My father is a musician so...”

It seems a befitting name for a young Mozart from Madras.

What: Performance by Lydian Nadhaswaram marking the Three-year anniversary celebrations of VR Bengaluru
When: May 18th, 8 pm
Where: Skydeck, VR Bengaluru