Parameshwar Hegde

Pandit Parameshwar Hegde (born 6 May 1956) is an Indian Hindustani classical vocalist. He belongs to the "Kirana, Gwali"or and "Patiala gharanas"
Born to Shri Govinda Hegde and Ganapamma Hegde in Uttara Kannnada district of Karanataka, where the colorful Yakshagana opera holds sway, Parameshwar Hegde was drawn into music at a very young age. Under the influence of his father late shri Govinda Hegde who was a dynamic theatre enthusiast himself, he started learning Hindustani music when he was barely ten. Very soon, under the guidance of  Sri.S.M.Bhat and Sri Pandith Chandrashekar Puranika Math, his interest in music grew into a passion.
It was in 1976 that Parameshwar Hegde went to Dharwad to seek advanced training under Pandith Basavaraj Rajguru. The maestro took an immense liking for the young vocalist. Over a decade and a half, he lovingly taught Parameshwar Hegde the best compositions from his amazingly vast repertoire.
An ‘A’ grade artist on All India Radio, Parameshwar Hegde has been featured in several national broadcasts. He has appeared on television also & is much sought after as a concert artiste. 
Now a resident of Bangalore, he is a major attraction at prestigious music festivals all over India and has also traveled on concert tours abroad, to the U.S.A, Canada, United Kingdom and the Gulf countries. Without doubt, Parameshwar Hegde is a legend in the firmament of Indian classical music. Touched by the genius of Rajguru and illuminated by warm inner light of his own, his music brings joy to his admiring listeners.
MUSICAL LEGACY.
The music of Parameshwar Hegde is marked by an adherence to the principles of purity and restraint. It is distinguished by an intense quest for beauty through the medium of melody. Critics discern in Parameshwar Hegde’s singing the most beautiful elements of Rajguru’s music, which is the confluence of three gharanas- Kirana, Gwalior and Patiala.
In addition, Parameshwar Hegde brings to his art his own fine imagination, which takes flight in passages of subtle and daring improvisation. Gifted with an evocative voice with commendable octave range, Hegdeji brings to his vocalism an agile imagination, a passion for the purity of the swara coupled with clear intonation and a remarkable grasp with layakari. His taans are powerful and his rhythm play has a charm of its own.
A dynamic fusion of swara and laya which is the hallmark of the Gwalior Gharana informs the music of Hegdeji. Listening to his music is most definitely an exhilarating and a powerful musical experience. Hegdeji is also adept in rendering ‘bhajans’ ‘padas’ and ‘vachanas‘ soulfully.
Parameshwar Hegde is undoubtedly a genuine custodian of the art of Pt.Basavaraj Rajguru one of the greatest musicians of our era.
Many awards have adorned his musical legacy including the prestigious Karnataka State Award (Rajyotsava Award) for the year 2005 for his contribution to the field of music. Recently he has been bestowed with Kalaashri award by Karanataka Sangeetha-Nritya academy for the year of 2016.
Early life and music training.
Born to Shri Govinda Hegde and Ganapamma Hegde in Uttara Kannada district of Karanataka, Pandit Parameshwar Hegde was drawn into music at a very young age. Under the influence of his father late Shri Govinda Hegde who was a dynamic theatre enthusiast himself, he started learning Hindustani music when he was ten years old. Soon, under the guidance of Sri.S.M.Bhat and Pandit Chandrashekar Puranika Math, his interest in music grew into a passion.
It was in 1976 that Hegde went to Dharwad to seek advanced training under Pandit Basavaraj Rajguru.
Personal life.
Pandit Parameshwar Hegde is married to Smt. Lalitha Hegde, a singer herself, who is the daughter of legendary Yakshagana artist and musician late Dr.Mahabala Hegde Keremane. They have two daughters, Veena and Vani.
Career.
In his early music career days, Pandit Parameshwar Hegde was a rank holder in the "Visharad" exam conducted by the "Gandharva Mahavidyalaya" and a first rank holder in "Vidwath" exam conducted by the Government of Karnataka. Being an ‘A’ grade artist on All India Radio, he has been featured in several national broadcasts. He has performed with the world renowned musician Pandit Vishwamohan Bhatt in a couple of Jugalbandi concerts.He has appeared on television and is much sought after as a concert artist at prestigious music festivals like 'Basava Jayanthi Utsav', 'Impu', Hampi Utsav, 'Sawai Gandharv Bhimsen Mahotsav' and has also performed in India, U.S.A, Canada, United Kingdom and the Gulf countries. The music of Pandit Parameshwar Hegde is marked by an adherence to the principles of purity and restraint of the Kirana, Gwalior and Patiala gharanas. He is also known for his soulful rendering of ‘bhajans’ ‘padas’ and ‘vachanas’.
Music academy and Trust.
‘Parameshwar Hegde Sangeeth Academy’ is the dream child of Pandit Parameshwar Hegde. The Academy wishes to focus upon promoting young talented artists, providing scholarships for poor but talented students especially from rural areas, honouring and acknowledging the contributions of great "Gurus" in the field of classical music, promoting Indian classical music in its intrinsic form both nationally and internationally.
Another familiar and popular venture of the academy is the ‘"Raag Anuraag’" series founded and orchestrated by Pandit Parmeshwar Hegde. ‘"Raag Anuraag"’ is the collection of short introductions of the wide range of ragas in Hindustani classical music to the unassuming public audience. ‘"Raag Anuraag"’ has been conducted from several years, the very recent being performed by the third-generation artists.
Pandit Parameshwar Hegde founded 'Rajguru Smruti’, a trust in the fond memory of his Late "guru" Pandit Basavaraj Rajguru. Every year a number of programs are conducted by the trust, with an intention to promote the art form to Bangaloreans.
Rajguru Smruti conducts three annual programs under its auspices:
Music compositions and Audio releases.
Pandit Parameshwar Hegde has composed music for several movies and music albums. He has directed music for ‘"Puttana Prapancha"’, a Kannada short film, ‘"Saacha"’(2011), a Kannada movie, ‘"Manasaagide"’ (2016), a Kannada music album and has also rendered his voice for Kannada songs like ‘"Henthana Endigu’" in ‘"Kiladi"’(2000) and ‘"Kandu Kandu’ in" ‘"Dayavittu Gamanisi"’(2017) to name a few.
Music Teaching.
Pandit Parameshwar Hegde offers several stages for his students to perform and thus hone their performance skills. Each month Hegde organizes a "baithak" where a few students are provided an opportunity to perform followed by his rendition. The discussion and feedback that ensues enriches the student's repertoire.
There is also the annual ‘"Guru Poornima’" celebration that completed 25 years in 2017. It spans over two full days, all the students of Hegde perform to pay a musical tribute to their "guru". Many of his students are popular concert artistes as well as sought after "gurus".
His notable students include Vasundhara Das and Bharath B. J..