Born on May 25, 1935, to Rukmini and T.V. Krishnaswami Iyer in Madras, Neela Ramgopal had her training in music under N.M. Narayanan, the music critic of The Hindu and T.K. Rangachary. She then embarked on a career as a vocalist and has given performances all over India and abroad. Her performing career has spanned five decades. She has also released several cassettes and CDs.
An ‘A Top’ artist of All India Radio, she has conducted numerous workshops and training programmes. Known for her extensive repertoire of songs acquired from authentic sources, she imparts her knowledge to several students and is a much sought-after guru, especially in Bangalore which has been her home for several years.
Her teaching emphasises on correctness in rendition, an uncompromising quest for perfection and adherence to tradition.
Neela Ramgopal has been honoured at various sabhas all over the country and also abroad. In recognition of her work, The Music Academy, Madras confers on her the title of Sangita Kala Acharya.
