V. K. Narayana Menon

🪔 About

V. K. Narayana Menon (1911–1997) was a distinguished Indian scholar, art critic, musicologist, and administrator, widely recognized for his profound contributions to classical Indian dance and music. Born in Thrissur, Kerala, Menon embarked on a remarkable career that spanned broadcasting, cultural administration, and prolific writing. He began his professional journey as a music program producer at the BBC, eventually rising to become its Director General. Later, he joined All India Radio, where he served as Deputy Director and subsequently as Director General. Menon held several pivotal positions in India's cultural landscape, including Secretary of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's national academy for music, dance, and drama. He also served as the President of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai, playing a crucial role in its establishment in 1980. His extensive writings on classical Indian dance and music established him as one of India's finest art critics. He authored several notable books, including a profile on the legendary Bharatanatyam dancer Balasaraswati, "Kerala: A profile," "The Communication Revolution," and "The Language of Music." An accomplished veena player, Menon's expertise extended to various facets of Indian arts. He was also a William Butler Yeats scholar and translated Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai's Malayalam novel "Chemmeen" into English, for which he received the Sahitya Akademi Prize for Translation in 1990. His wife, Smt. Rekha Menon, donated his extensive collection of 1,850 volumes to the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) in 1999. Awards & Honours: Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (1980), Padma Bhushan (1969), Sahitya Akademi Prize for Translation in English (1990).