Chidambaram Narayanan

Chidambaram Narayanan is a Carnatic percussionist specializing in the mridangam, currently based in Zurich, Switzerland. He trained under the renowned mridangam maestro Shri T. S. Nandakumar of Mumbai, whose guidance shaped his grounding in the rhythmic traditions of Carnatic classical music. Over the course of more than three decades, Narayanan has developed a career as a concert accompanist, performing in classical concerts and cultural events in India and internationally.

As an accompanist, he has collaborated with several distinguished Carnatic musicians, including violinist T. N. Krishnan, vocalist R. Vedavalli, chitravina exponent Ravikiran, and vocalist Sikkil Gurucharan. In addition to traditional kutcheri performances, he has also provided rhythmic accompaniment for Bharatanatyam dance recitals, demonstrating versatility in adapting the mridangam to both concert and dance contexts. His musical engagements have also included cross-cultural collaborations with international artists.

Beyond performance, Chidambaram Narayanan is active as a teacher and promoter of Indian classical music in Europe. He manages Mridangam Zurich, an initiative dedicated to teaching the instrument to students interested in Carnatic percussion. He is also associated with the Indian Music Circle (IMC) in Switzerland as a programming consultant, contributing to the presentation and promotion of Indian classical music through concerts and cultural events in the region.