Chennai: Violin maestro in south Indian classical music Kunnakudi R. Vaidyanathan died here Monday night, family sources said.

Vaidyanathan, 73,succumbed to a massive cardiac arrest. The maestro was known for producing offbeat sounds from the violin. Such was his dexterity with the instrument that he could produce offbeat sounds of Vedic mantras with the violin at Carnatic concerts.

Vaidyanathan was awarded the Padma Shri by the government in 2005.

Vaidyanathan's father Ramaswamy Sastri, a great exponent of south Indian classical music, was his first guru, who not only taught him the nuances of music but also finer points of Hindu Vedic scriptures.

Vaidyanathan took up the violin at the age of nine and within three years, the young Vaidyanathan was adept enough in his vocation to become the accompanist to one of the top vocalists of the day - Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyengar.

By 1976,Vaidyanathan had carved a niche for himself with his violin skills and became a lead performer in classical recitals.

Vaidyanathan scored music for several Tamil hit movies including those starring the late M. G. Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganeshan.

He also performed small cameos for several films including the 2005 Vikram starrer "Anniyan".

Almost till his last days, Vaidyanathan was a much sought after musician and he performed alongside modern day masters such as Allah Rakha and Zakir Hussain.

Vaidyanathan is survived by his wife and two daughters. His funeral will be held later Tuesday.

Source : IANS