Avasarala Kanyakumari is a violinist from South India who specializes in Carnatic music. She is the first woman violinist to receive the Sangita Kalanidhi award. Critics have noted aspects of her violin playing such as vocal-style phrasing and experimentation.
Kanyakumari is a native of Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh and has lived in Chennai for more than five decades. Her parents, Avasarala Ramarathnam and Smt. Jayalakshmi encouraged her to pursue music. She studied under Ivaturi Vijeswara Rao, M. Chandrasekaran and M. L. Vasanthakumari. Her playing incorporates a vocal-based approach known as the gayaki style. She was mentioned in the congressional record of the US on August 6, 2021, for offering free Carnatic violin instruction and acknowledging the influence of her teachers. She also often performs at SPIC MACAY Concerts throughout India. She has trained over 150 students and emphasises that students master the lyrics or sahityam too.
She is the first female violinist to create ragas. Recordings of her performances and compositions are available on platforms such as Spotify and YouTube. She maintains a website featuring instructional videos on Carnatic violin technique.
A Kanyakumari was awarded the Sangeetha Kalanidhi award of the Madras Music Academy for the year 2016. She is the first female violinist to get the award. Her awards include
She was selected for Limca Book of Records 2004 for her various achievements in music as a versatile woman violinist.