Gopinath Suryanarayanan Iyer and Ramnath Iyer, two trailblazers of Carnatic music in Australia, have been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours for their outstanding service to music.
Based in Mount Waverley, Victoria, the Iyer brothers are widely recognised and celebrated as a Carnatic music duo who have championed South Indian classical traditions for over 50 years.
Their performances have introduced the rich heritage and intricate nuances of Carnatic music to audiences across Australia and internationally, including upcoming events bringing their soulful tunes to the broader Yarra Ranges community.
Ramnath Iyer recalls that they began learning the veena in 1973 while growing up in southern India. “We started learning in ‘73 through three different gurus and we learned for about 15 years,” he said. After settling in Australia, the brothers have dedicated themselves to teaching and performing traditional South Indian Carnatic music here in Melbourne.
A distinctive feature of the Iyer Brothers’ performances is their emphasis on raga — a core element of Indian music involving melodic improvisation. Their concerts typically blend around 40 to 50 per cent improvisation with traditional compositions.
Committed to ensuring the veena and southern Indian music flourish both in Australia and India, the brothers have for the past eight years hosted the Melbourne Veena Festival. This annual event gathers students and artists from across Australia and New Zealand to celebrate the instrument and its rich cultural legacy.
Beyond their musical achievements, Gopinath co-founded the Pichumani School of Carnatic Music in 1990, nurturing generations of students in vocal, veena, and theoretical aspects of the tradition. He has also contributed to arts policy and development, serving as a Peer Specialist in Indian Music for the Australia Council since 1996 and advising the Federation of Indian Music and Dance Victoria since 2008. His philanthropic efforts include support for The East West Foundation and volunteer work with the Ramakrishna Mission in Melbourne.
Ramnath has similarly played a key role in Victoria’s multicultural music scene, serving on the Management Committee of The Boite since 2022 and maintaining long-term advisory roles for Indian arts organisations.
Both brothers were honoured earlier with the Victorian Multicultural Award for Excellence in the Arts (2010), reflecting their lasting impact on Australia’s multicultural arts scene.
Their OAM awards highlight a lifetime devoted to cultural preservation, mentorship, and enriching Australia’s diverse artistic landscape through the timeless beauty of Carnatic music.
The Governor-General announced the King’s Birthday 2025 Honours List, which includes 830 Australians recognised for their exceptional contributions across various fields. The list reflects a nearly 30% increase in awardees compared to the Australia Day 2025 Honours, celebrating selfless service, creativity, and community spirit nationwide.
Governor-General Sam Mostyn AC, in announcing this year’s list, praised the honourees for their “passion, generosity, energy and resolve”, and noted the growing recognition of public service excellence across the country. “These honours recognise the selfless service, integrity, achievement, creativity, and care that flourish across our country,” she said.
“Every day, and all across the country, Australians are doing extraordinary things with passion, generosity, energy, and resolve. … I look forward to meeting many of you at the investiture of your awards.”
In the coming months, honourees will be presented with their awards at investiture ceremonies held at Government House in their respective states and territories.
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