Young Carnatic Flute exponent J.A.Jayant, is an artiste, collaborator, teacher and composer performing across the globe and popularizing the art of flute playing. A prodigy performing since age 7, he has enthralled audiences in over 1800 solo and jugalbandi concerts in India and all over the world. A wunderkind, affectionately called Flute Jayant by many, was born in a musical family. He was naturally drawn into early training on bamboo flute in the Indian classical music tradition of guru-shishya parampara, from age 4, from his grandfather and guru, late Flute T. S. Sankaran, a Sangeeth Natak Academy awardee himself and a prime disciple of the legendary Flute Mali. He is the torch bearer of Flute Mali style of Carnatic Flute playing.
With his in-born talent, deep passion, primordial training and the ability to play Raagam Thanam Pallavi (RTP) in three speeds (Trikaalam) in his very first concert at the age of 7 surprised many senior musicians, co-artistes and audience alike.
Jayant has a unique, virtuoso fingering and flute blowing technique to present his music beautifully even in the very difficult lower octaves on the bass and double-bass, thick-walled bamboo flutes, while maintaining shruthi suddham (perfect pitching) and supreme tonal quality. His expressive, graceful (bhaava-laden) rendering bringing out the depth and soul of the lyrical aspects of compositions he presents (gaayaki-form), have consistently won him lasting appreciation from one and all, including senior musicians, co-artistes, connoisseurs and music lovers (rasikaas). His expedient playing and uncanny lyrical expressivity have inspired many flautists of the current generation and the younger crop to imbibe his style. He is the first carnatic flautist to unveil 106 cm long Double Bass (Bansuri) flutes in his performances casting a meditative spell on the listeners and also playing on 15 cm long piccolo flutes.
Regarded as a global ambassador of Indian instrumental Music, Flute J.A. Jayant has been invited to perform regularly at pre-eminent sabhas and venues such as the Madras Music Academy, Swathi Sangeethotsavam, Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival, Shanmukhananda Hall – Mumbai, Kalakshetra Foundation, Siri Fort -New Delhi, Purana Qila – Delhi, Chowdiah Hall – Bangalore, HCL Concerts, Kennedy Center – Washington D.C, Drive East Festival – New York, Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Théâtre de la ville- Paris, FES World Sacred Music Festival, Les Orientales d’anjou festival, Södra Teatern – Sweden, World Sacred Music Festival- Sacrees Journees, Darbar Festival – UK, Milap Festival – UK, Sydney Music Festival, DUCTAC Auditorium – Dubai, Rietberg Museum – Zurich, World Sacred Spirit Festival to name a few. He has performed at other major centers and festivals across India, USA, Canada, Netherlands, France, UK, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Scotland, Australia, Dubai, Kuwait, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Bali, Mauritius and Reunion Islands. Some of these have included jugalbandis with several musicians. He has collaborated with Cristal Baschet artist Loup Barrow, The New Jungle Orchestra, Guitar virtuoso John Sund, Flute Pt. Ronu Majumdar, Shehnai Pt. Ashwani Shankar, Carnatic musicians – Chitravina Ravikiran, Guitar Prasanna, Veena Sri Rajhesh Vaidhya, Mandolin Sri U. Rajesh and others. He has also recorded his flutes for leading music directors including Harris Jayaraj and others.
Jayant is an empanelled artiste with the ICCR. He has been invited to perform for Sangeeth Sammelan and National program of music by All India Radio . He was awarded ‘A’ grade by All India Radio at a very young age. He also has the privilege of performing for the Honourable President of India in Daman Diu, Sangeet Natak Akademi and for the Indian Navy in Port Blair.
He has been accompanied by doyens of Carnatic music such as Umayalpuram K.Sivaraman, Vellore Ramabhadran, T.K.Murthy, T. V. Gopalakrishnan, M. Chandrasekaran, Trichy Sankaran. He is currently under the tutelage of Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri. Sanjay Subrahmanyam.
Jayant has won numerous awards and recognitions to date, including Kalki Krishnamurthy Memorial Award, THE BEST INSTRUMENTALIST AWARD seven times from The Madras Music Academy, The Bharat Ratna Dr. M. S. Subbalakshmi Fellowship from Sri Shanmukhananda Sabha, The MOST PROMISING YOUNG MUSICIAN award from TAG center, YUVA KALA BHARATI, Scholarship recognition from Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India in 2005 and 2013, CARNATIC IDOL OF THE YEAR 2007, CHILD PRODIGY Award, Dr. M. L. Vasanthakumari (MLV) award from Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha.
Flute J.A.Jayant has a presence on Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Apple music, Spotify, Amazon music, etc. He has many audio CD albums, online digital albums, online concert videos and DVDs to his credit.