Born on 18 October 1938 into a family of illustrious musicians in Karaikudi village of Sivaganga district in Tamil Nadu, Shri Karaikudi R. Krishnamurthy received his training in the Mridangam under Ramanathapuram C. S. Murugaboopathy. He has performed from an early age, accompanying eminent Carnatic musicians such as Maharajapuram Visvanatha Iyer, G.N. Balasubramaniam, and T.R. Mahalingam on the Mridangam. To promote new work in the field, he has conducted workshops in dance music at leading institutions, and produced CDs of compositions such as Saphtha Bhairavi, Kuraipu, and Moharas. A dedicated teacher, Shri Krishnamurthy has trained students in the Mridangam both in India and abroad. Having served on the faculty of Kalakshetra, Chennai, since 1959, he taught Mridangam at the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society between 1981 and 1988, and at the British Association of Tamil Schools in U.K. from 1990 to 1998. He continues to contribute to Indian dance music at home and abroad as a teacher, composer and performer.