BANGALORE: The 4th annual national-level Bharat Ratna M S Subbulakshmi Memorial Music Festival will be held from February 1 to 4 at Prashanthi Kuteeram, S Vyasa University campus, near Electronic City.

In memory of legendary vocalist MS Subbulakshmi, the festival is celebrated every year by Sri Lalithakala Academy Foundation. "It's a tribute to her. We want the younger generation to know her contribution to music,'' said B S S Rao, academy secretary.

Leading artistes will be honoured during the festival. The Sangeetha Ratna award, which was instituted for MS, will be given to vocalist Sudha Raghunathan this year.

The four-day festival will kick off with a concert by Sudha Raghunathan. On the second day, Gayatri Venkataraghavan will perform. Uttar-Dakshin `Dasavani', the devotional composition of all saints of Karnataka in both Hindustani and Carnatic style, and a few bhajans will be recited by Manasi Prasad and Smita Bellur on February 3.

On the last day, there will be a lecture on `Music therapy - Effects of ragas on human ailments' followed by a violin duet by Mysore Nagaraj and Manjunath. Kumari Janani, 18, the youngest disciple of Balamadhurkrishnan, will present a programme on the concluding day of the festival.