Erickavu N. Sunil

Erickavu N Sunil (Malayalam: Erickavu N Sunil) is an Indian Mridangam player.

Erickavu N Sunil was born (on 15 March 1977) to K. Narayana Panicker and V. Saraswathi Amma in Haripad, Kerala, India. He started learning the Mridangam at the age of four. His initial Gurus were Late Krishnappa Bhagavathar and M S Raju. He had his advanced studies in mridangam from the Legendary Maestro Late Professor Mavelikkara Velukkutty Nair.

He completed schooling from St. Thomas High School, Karthikappally (near Haripad) in 1992. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Mar Ivanios College, Trivandrum in 1997. He also received a Master of Computer Applications(MCA) degree from College of Engineering, Trivandrum in 2002.

As a performer, Sunil has accompanied musicians including Padmabhushan T. V. Sankaranarayanan, Padmasri Neyyattinkara Vasudevan, Prof. Parassala Ponnammal, Madhurai G S Mony, Prof: Mavelikkara Prabhakara Varma, Prof. Mavelikkara Velukkutty Nair, Sankaran Namboothiri, M. Jayachandran, Avaneeswaram S R Vinu, Sriram Gangadharan, Thiruvinkad Jayaraman, Balabhaskar, etc. for their concerts. He teaches Mridangam online through Skype, and has students in Germany, US & Middle East. Sunil had scripted and directed “Nadasanjeevani” – a unique program on Music Therapy, which was telecasted in Asianet Cable Vision (ACV) as 9 episodes in 2006. Sunil leads the team "Laya Vadya Sudha" - the "Tala Vadya" - Percussion Ensemble - featuring Indian percussion instruments Mridangam, Kanjira, Ghatam, Morsing, and Tabla.

• He is an A Grade Mridangam artist in All India Radio and Doordarshan.
• He received the prestigious “Chembai Award” (the award given to outstanding young Mridangam Artist) by Chembai Memorial Trust, Trivandrum in 2006.
• He was awarded the Junior Research Fellowship by the Department of Culture, Government of India in 2013.
• He was awarded the Senior Scholarship by the Department of Culture, Government of India in 1996.
• He won first prize and gold medal in Mridangam at the Inter-university National Youth Festival held at Gulburga, Karnataka, during January 1995.
• He was the winner in Mridangam at Kerala University Youth Festival for four consecutive years (from 1993 to 1997) representing Mar Ivanios College, Trivandrum. While at school, he received several prizes.
• He was nominated as a member in the panel of judges for Mridangam in Kerala State Schools Youth Festival for several years.

Sunil is Senior IT Professional working with a leading IT firm in Technopark, Trivandrum. His wife Indu Sunil is also an IT Professional working in Technopark, Trivandrum. She is an expert in Aksharaslokam and Kavyakeli. The couple has two sons, Bhagath Sunand and Bharath Sunand.