Chennai based Hindustani vocalist Soumya Madangopal received the 'Kalai Mudu Mani' Award from the Department of Arts and Culture, Government of Tamil Nadu, on 8 April 2015. The award was presented by Minister for Textiles Gokula Indra.at the Collectors Office in Egmore, Chennai.
The award is in recognition of Soumya's work in the field of voice culture techniques and their application. She has trained several music students including playback singers.
Soumya hails from a music family. Her father the late R. Ranganathan was a committee member of the Madras Music Academy, and served as Secretary for some decades. Her mother Rajeswari Ranganathan is a graded Carnatic vocalist in All India Radio, and her brother R. Visweswaran was adept in Carnatic, Hindustani and Western music. Soumya is the niece of GNB, and granddaughter of Gudalur V. Narayanswami Iyer, who served as Principal of Hindu High School, Triplicane, as Secretary of Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, and was a member of the Experts Committee of the Madras Music Academy.