Sri. Pitchaiappah Gnanavarathan

Sri ‘Venuganamani’ Pitchaiappah Gnanavarathan hails from a family of highly influential musicians in Sri Lanka. Gnani started learning Flute with ‘Sangeetha Vidwan’ N Somasundaram and continued to learn vocal, violin and flute from his farther Kalasoori TV Pitchaiappah. He then obtained “Sangeetha kalavithahar” from the oriental music society, Sri Lanka. He received further advanced training from Dr.N. Ramani who invited him to perform in the December Festivals in Chennai. The Muththukrishnan Swami Mission awarded him the title “Venuganamani” in 1992.

Affectionately called ‘Gnani master’, he teaches flute under his own banner “KAVINKALAI” and in several other centres too. He founded “Gnanalaya” to promote young students.

Globally recognized, Gnani performs as a soloist and as an accompanying artist in many countries. Gnani master has been teaching for the last two decades and produced scores of endowed students that have completed their arangetram. He has also released CDs.

Gnani has been a popular radio and television artist in Sri Lanka. He has contributed to an enormous amount of charity work towards underprivileged children in Amparai district in Srilanka which is known as “THIRUNAVUKKARASU NAYANAR GURUKULA AADEENAM”.