This is Amrith Narayan, a student of Neyveli Santhanagopalan sir. I am an upcoming Carnatic vocal musician from Chennai. I did my engineering with BITS Pilani, MBA from IIM Kozhikode and worked with Deloitte as a consultant until recently.
I have performed in more than 125 concerts in many sabhas in multiple places in India and have won many prizes, recent ones being my
1. 'Best vocalist-Junior' award from Vani Mahal, Chennai,
2 First prize for Pallavi Darbar's Global Pallavi Contest- Performed for Pallavi Darbar recently too
3. Induction into the Hall of Fame by Live4You,
4. Runner up award in Times Thyagaraja competition and in Sankara Super Singer-4 and more
My Shruthi is C sharp
Darsh Shekar is a disciple of Dr. Patri Satish Kumar. Darsh has been performing in the USA since 2018. Darsh is currently a 10th grader at Sammamish High School, Bellevue. Some of Darsh’s more recent performances include
- Prerana USA , 2022
- Jai Hanuman Temple, Bellevue USA 2022
- Parthasarathy Swami Sabha - Yuva Sangeet Utsav 2021
- ShankaraNarayanan Academy, Mumbai, 2021
- S R Fine Arts, California (solo) 2021
- S R Fine Arts, California (Accompaniment) 2021
- Northwest Folklife festival, Seattle, USA 2020
- Marakatha Navaratri festival , Bellevue USA 2020
- VEDA Temple. Redmond USA, 2018
Brief Profile of Delhi Sisters: Madhavi Sitaraman and Vaishnavi Sitaraman together are called 'Delhi Sisters' and both of them are an erudite academic aficionados mingled with the soul of Carnatic Vocals. Delhi Sisters have been performing at all the prestigious dias, organizations and at various prosceniums and even featured at some of the popular music festivals, some of them are featured at prominent television channels. Both these duo sisters have been performing concerts all over the country under this banner and are the recipients of numerous awards and have also won prizes at various music competitions and at concert competitions some of them notably here are 'Asthana Vidushis' at Anugraha Vinayakar Temple Samithi, Rohini New Delhi, 'Isai Sahodarihal' from Delhi Tamil Sangam and Rasikapriya, Delhi, Champa Narayanan Award & Prathibhakankshi Award from Sree Ramaseva Mandali Bangalore and won at their concert competition and also Sri Muthuswamy Dikshitar's award given by Gayathri Fine Arts Delhi.
Some of their noteworthy performances highlights here at Sree Ramaseva Mandali (Bangalore), Bangalore Gayana Samaja (Bangalore), Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Sabha (New Delhi), India International Centre (New Delhi), IGNCA (New Delhi), Delhi Tamil Sangam (New Delhi), Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha (Chennai), Indian Fine Arts Society (Chennai), Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha (Chennai), Bhadrachala Ramadasu (Bhadrachalam), to name a few here.
They have been an active part of the Annamayya Padayagnam musical project a few years back and got certificate from them. Also alongside, Vaishnavi learned Hindustani semi-classical vocals and she participated from her school and bagged numerous prizes at the zonal and district competitions by the Directorate of Education, Government of NCT of Delhi.
Shruti (Vocal) - G (5)
Hari Iyer is an aspiring mridangam player. He was under the tutelage of Sangeetha Kala Acharya Sri. T. H. Subash Chandran, and is currently training with Sri. Akshay Ananthapadmanabhan.
Hari has been playing in the Chennai Marghazhi music season for several years and has accompanied senior Vidwans such as Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr. S. Sowmya, Sri. Pattabhiraman Pandit, Sri. Vittal Ramamurthy, Sri. V.V.S Murari, Sri. O S Thyagarajan, Sri V.L. Kumar, and Pandit Tarun Bhattacharya. He has also shared the stage with his guru Sri. T.H. Subash Chandran in a percussion ensemble.
Hari also plays the saxophone and is the recipient of the nationally recognized John Philip Sousa award. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Music and Technology from the University of Oregon and plans to pursue music technology as his career.
Nandini Muralidharan, 17 year old, is a young Carnatic vocalist from Boston, USA. She is a high school senior at Hopkinton High School. Nandini has been learning Carnatic music under her guru Smt. Tara Bangalore of Boston since the age of 5. She learns padams and javelis from Vid. Thiruvarur Girish. Nandini is also being guided and mentored by Vid. Shri Akshay Padmanabhan for the past 3 years. She had received laya training from Vid. Shri Jayachandra Rao. She has won prizes in the senior categories from the esteemed Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana festival. She has been performing regularly in several US venues, for the past 5 years. She recently gave a concert at the Mahaperiyava Manimandapam, New Jersey, as a part of the kumbhabishekam celebrations.
Kedhar Vignesh is a disciple of the renowned violinist Vid. Vittal Rangan. He began his musical journey at the age of 8, learning the violin under the guidance of his father, V. Shankar, and later receiving training from the esteemed Smt. Anusha Sreeram.
Sumukha was initiated into the world of Carnatic percussion at the tender age of 5 under Arun Kumar of Bangalore. Sumukha then continued his training under the tutelage of Sri R.Suthanthiraraj of Sydney for the next 11 years, where he explored the initial stages of his musical journey. For the past 10 years, Sumukha has been mentored by Vid. Melakaveri K. Balaji of Chennai. He has been a regular performer in Sydney’s music festivals and has performed in both classical and semi-classical concerts, collaborating with cross-genre musicians. Sumukha has been privileged to accompany many local and international musicians both in Australia and India.
Uma was initiated into music at the tender age of five. Since then, Carnatic music has been an integral part of her life and routine, despite other professional commitments. She also holds credit for having been trained under the guidance of experts such as Dr. Radha Venkatachalam, Dr. K. Vageesh and Vidushi Rajarajeshwary Bhat. Presently, she is blossoming as a solo vocalist under Vidushi Smt.Gayathri Venkataraghavan, eminent Carnatic vocalist and teacher, and undergoing intense training on Layam under the wings of Vidwan Shri.Erode Nagaraj, renowned Mridangam performer and Teacher. Uma has performed at The British Parliament: House of Commons in April 2012, Nehru Centre (London), India Habitat Centre (New Delhi), Rasika Ranjani Sabha (Chennai), Chembai Sangeetholsavam (Guruvayur) to name a few. Her passion for composing music has led her to be the music Director for dance productions ‘Radhe Radhe..Story of love for the supreme’, ‘Bhakti Sugandham-Fragrance of devotion’, ‘Ramanuja- a historic Drama’, to name a few. She has also been teaching music for the past decade and has worked with the NGO-Music Basti in New Delhi, to help children in mental healing through music. Uma’s prolonged interest lies in exploring the therapeutic value of music through research and implicating their findings in rehabilitation and healing of the mentally ill. She is a certified music therapist. Besides music, Uma has also been trained in Bharatanatyam for 16 years, under the able tutelage of Smt. Jayalakshmi Eshwar, New Delhi. She has a Masters in Human Resource Management from London School of Economics and Political Science, and is currently working as a Strategy Manager in the Energy industry.
Shruti (Vocal): G# -10
Laya is an upcoming multi-faceted artist from Cleveland, Ohio. She is a disciple of Sangitha Kalanidhi Vidushi. Smt. Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi, torch bearer of the legendary Lalgudi bani from whom Laya pursues advanced training in the art of Classical Carnatic music. In addition to winning top prizes for over a decade in various competitions held by organizations such as the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana and Chicago Thyagaraja Utsavam, Laya has performed vocal & violin solo concerts and violin accompaniments across prestigious platforms. Laya has been on the orchestra as a violinist and vocalist for many Indian classical dance productions and arangetrams. Also, a passionate Bharathanatyam dancer, Laya trains under Nrithya Seva Mani Guru Smt. Sujatha Srinivasan. Laya regularly performs Western Classical Violin Concerts as part of reputed orchestras, quartets, and ensembles in US.
Seyoon began learning the mridangam under the tutelage of “Sandor” Sri. R. Suthanthiraraj, an esteemed guru of both mridangam and flute and the founder of Ghanalayam Music Academy in Sydney. He has also been undertaking advanced mentoring under Vidwan “Nadha Oli” Melakaveri Sri. K. Balaji, an A-grade artist of All India Radio. He regularly performs at a variety of sabhas and temples in Sydney, Chennai, and the USA, and has shared the stage with senior artistes such as Smt. Hemalatha Ganesan, Sri. T.V. Ramprasadh, Melakaveri Sri. K. Thiagarajan, Sri. G. Sridhar, and Pudukottai Sri. Ramachandran. While completing his undergraduate degree in mathematics at Princeton University, Seyoon also served as president of Princeton Swara, the university’s Indian classical music group. In this role, he organised concerts by renowned artists from India and conducted workshops to introduce other students to Carnatic music. Seyoon is currently pursuing a PhD in computer science at MIT.
Bhargavi has been learning Carnatic Music since age 4 from Smt. Rajarajeshwary Bhat (Founder & Director of Krishna Gana Sabha Music Academy, Houston, TX) and Smt. Kruthi Bhat. In the year 2019, Bhargavi gave her solo debut concert at age 9. Since then she has been giving concerts at various venues in Chennai, Tirunelveli and greater Houston/Dallas area. Bhargavi spent summer (June & July) of 2023 taking advanced lessons from Smt Suguna Varadachary. She has participated and won competitions conducted by – Guruguhaamrta (Tambura prize), Vid VVS Murari’s SaMaa Arts (Grand prizes in many categories), MYICMF 2022 (1st prize in Manodharmam, Krithi, Varnam, Thillana, and 2nd prize in Divine Classics), Cleveland Aradhana, The Artiste, SAPTAMI-Dallas, Namadwaar-Houston
Vignesh Ravi is mridangam player who is a student of Sri Sridhar Chari - a prime disciple of Padma Vibhushan Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr Umayalpuram K Sivaraman. Vignesh has been teaching a number of students mridangam along with his guru Sri Sridhar Chari. He performed his arangetram in 2013 where he accompanied Sri Saketharaman and Sri Nagai Sriram. He has played in a number of programs across Australia across Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Perth and Adelaide. From 2017, he also played at various sabhas during the Margazhi season including Narada Gana Sabha, Karthik Fine Arts, Rajalakshmi Fine Arts (Comibatore), Hamsadhwani and Nada Sudha. He is also a chartered accountant by profession.
Shankar Ramani has been performing concerts for over 25 years across the globe. After spending his initial years learning and accompanying Vidwan O.S.Thiyagarajan in Chennai, he moved to the US in 2003 and has since been a regular performer at Hamsadhwani's NRI festivals alongside all other major Sabhas in Chennai during the December music season. His singing style is characterized by sruthi suddham and profienciency in laya.
Surup Sowmithri Thathachar was initiated into the Carnatic Violin at a young age of 5 years and has blossomed into a fine Violinist par excellence under the able tutelage of Sri Nellai N Ravindran at SIFAS – Singapore. He is currently being mentored by Kalaimamani Sri Sriram Parasuram, Chennai.
Born into a family of Carnatic musicians, Surup started to perform full length Carnatic concerts from the age of 10. He is recognized for his depth of skill, creative imagination, brilliant clarity and accuracy.
This proficiency and versatility won him several laurels such as the Mandolin U Shrinivass International Award 2019 from Shrinivas Institute Of World Musique (SIOWM), India and Arte Compass, Singapore.
The other prestigious awards include Vadya Visharad Title (2017) and Best Student Title (2014) from SIFAS. He received “Rising Star” award for young upcoming talents from Trinity Arts Festival of India in 2018. Surup was the recipient of Top Prizes for Open, Intermediate and Junior categories in NAC’s Indian Music competitions which was all achieved by the age of 15 years which is an added credit.
Surup performs regularly at Chennai Margazhi Utsavam in major sabhas and for charity and has accompanied Legend like Maharajapuram Sri S Ramachandran and many other senior artistes from India and abroad.
Surup is currently pursuing Medicine at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) , Sydney, Australia. He is very delighted to be chosen as Music Director for the UNSW Lo-Fi Society consisting of 1600 members which is a recent feather added to his cap & he wishes to combine Music & Medicine to heal the world in the future.
Rohit Ashok is a disciple of his grandfather Sri KS Kalidas, a direct disciple of the mridanga
maha vidwan Pazhani Sri Subramania Pillai. He has performed in several concerts in both India
and the US since his arangetram in 2014, including at the Music Academy Madras,
Hamsadhwani, Indian Fine Arts, Krishna Gana Sabha, Kartik Fine Arts, and other prestigious
venues. He has received prizes in numerous mridangam competitions in Chennai.
Originally from Chennai, Rohit is currently based in Austin, USA, pursuing a graduate degree in
Operations Research at The University of Texas at Austin.
Kavyapranati Pratapa has been learning carnatic music for the last 16 years. She received her initial training from Smt. Vijayalakshmi Janakiraman, a disciple of several doyens of carnatic music and completed her vocal arangetram in 2017. She is currently pursuing her advanced training under the guidance of noted musician ‘Isai Peroli’ Vidushi S Mahathi and has also learnt from Smt. Suma Venkatesh. Kavyapranati has performed at various festivals including iCarnatic’s Margazhi in Detroit festival and the prestigious December music season in Chennai in 2022. She was also an IndianRaga Fellow in 2020 and has won prizes in online competitions conducted by noted sabhas.
Vignesh Srinivasan is a disciple of Padma Vibushan
Umayalpuram Dr. K. Sivaraman and has been under his tutelage since 2006. He had his arangetram in August 2014 where he accompanied Vid. Ramakrishnan Murthy (Vocal), Vid. MA Sundereswaran (Violin) and Vid. Madipakkam Murali (Ghatam). Since then he has been an active mrudangam artist ,regularly performing in temples and sabhas throughout the year, especially in the December season. Some of his major performances include participation in the Music Academy’s Spirit of Youth Festival (2017), HCLConcert series (2018) and Sri Shanmukhananda Fine Arts & Sangeetha Sabha’s Talent Promotion Series (2018).[Kindly refer following page for the year wise list of performances] He is a fellow of the online classical arts platform ‘Indian Raga’ and has been part of collaborations since 2017. He is a member of Global Carnatic Musicians Association from 2022 onwards. On the academic and professional front, he’s a Chartered Accountant and a B.Com graduate from RKM Vivekananda College, Mylapore after completing schooling from Vidya Mandir, Mylapore.
I am Venkatasundaram S, a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Computer Science & Engineering at SASTRA University. Over the past nine years, I have dedicated myself to learning the violin, receiving six years of initial training from Vidwan Sri Chittoor Anand. Currently, I am under the guidance of Vidwan Sri Vittal Rangan. My musical journey has encompassed performances in numerous concerts in and around Chennai. Additionally, I can play the keyboard and am currently delving into the intricacies of Western classical piano.
Sreeram Venkat has been learning Carnatic Music since the age of 5. He started learning from Smt. Shyamala Krishna in Kansas and later was under the tutelage of Smt. Geetha Ganesh in Cary, Sri Malladi Suribabu, and Smt. Malladi Vasavi in India. Since 2017, he is learning from Sri. Madurai R. Sundar in Detroit. Sreeram graduated from NC State with degrees in Physics and Applied Mathematics. He is now doing his PhD at UT Austin in Computational Science, Engineering, and Mathematics. 2. Shruti (Vocal) - Shruti is B
- Harish is Pursuing his training in Vocal Carnatic music Under Kalaimamani Dr. Rukmini Ramani.
- He is also learning Mrindagam under Guru, Shri Poovalur Sriji. He has accompanied over 40 concerts In The Dallas Texas U.S.A.His Notable One is Playing for a Group of Students In Front Of Padma Bhushan K.J.Yesudas.
- Harish completed his Vocal Arangetram Last Year In August.
- He has won prizes at the Fetna National Competition, Sapthami Nationals, Global Spring Nectar Foundation, Papanasam Competition, Dallas Star Kalakkar, and other competitions In the DFW Metroplex.
- Harish won many prizes in Chess and is also a 3rd-degree black belt In Taekwondo and won State, Nationals, U. S. Open, Grand Slam, and Pan Am championships.
- Harish also participated in the 2022 International Waves Conference and wrote a paper and did a presentation on the topic, “How to Become a Hindu.”
List of His Notable Vocal Concerts:
- 2021 Mani Krishnaswamy Academy- Online Concert
- Suswara Whatsapp- Online Concert
- Sai Murugan Trust Hall, Chennai, India.
- 2022 Sapthami Foundation- Online concert
- Vocal Arangetram Dallas Texas
- Hamsadwani Sabha, Chennai, India.
- 2023 Anusham Arts Academy RR Sabha-Chennai,
- India.
- IFAA-Dallas Texas
- Papanasam Sivan Festival- Dallas Texas
- Mahaperiyava Vocal Concert -New Jersey
- Nadopasana- DFW Temple Dallas Texas
Anjali got initiated into music at an early age by her parents and trained under Guru D Vardhani. She is pursuing advanced training with senior artists Vid. Sriranjani Santhanagopalan, Vid. Vishnudev Namboodri and Vid. Amrutha Venkatesh.
Anjali is an All India Radio graded artist. She holds a Diploma in Carnatic music and is currently pursuing her Masters in Carnatic Classical Music at the University of SiliconAndhra, USA. She has performed extensively at various Sabhas in USA and India, including the prestigious Chennai December season and various online Sabhas.
She is an IndianRaga Ambassador. She has recorded music for many Classical and Devotional albums, short and feature films, and dance productions, both Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. She teaches vocal music under the Amritavarshini academy banner in USA . Anjali is a Software Engineer and is currently working for a large financial firm in Dallas.
Shruti (Vocal). G#
Kapil Ramanarayanan has been learning mridangam for more than 15 years. He is under the tutelage of mridangam maestro Bangalore Shri Arjun Kumar. Kapil has been accompanying for concerts in the USA, Canada, and India. He has won several prizes from prestigious music organizations in the US and India. Recently, he was selected to perform at the 2023 Spirit of the Youth festival conducted by the Music Academy in Chennai. Kapil is also a western violinist and played in Symphony and Charanga orchestras in high school and college. He also arranged music and performed as a bass singer and vocal percussionist with the award-winning a Cappella group, Tarpeggios at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He Kapil graduated from there with dual degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Music. He is currently working at BASF in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Mathangi and Sambavi, from London (UK), initiated their violin training under the guidance of Bangalore Shri Balu Raguraman and are currently disciples of Padmashri A Kanyakumari. They have performed many violin duet concerts and accompaniment concerts in the UK and Chennai.
They are also vocalists, initiating their training with Late Smt Saraswathy Packiarasa, and currently with Kalaimamani Sri Sikkil Gurucharan. Mathangi and Sambavi also learn Pannisai (Thevaram, Thirupugazh) from Othuvar Sami Dhandapani.
Mathangi won the Asian Music Circuit scholarship award and Sambavi was the first prize Tambura winner of the Guruguhaamrta competitions.
- Shruthi: D#
Srikrishna Prasannan is a budding ghatam artist. He is a 12th grader in High School in Portland, Oregon. He started learning mridangam from Sri Shankar Viswanathan in Portland. He later switched to ghatam under the tutelage of Sangeetha Kala Acharya and Kalaimamani late Sri T.H Subhash Chandran and had his arangetram in 2019. He is now continuing his training from Kanjira Vidwan Sri Ganesh Kumar of Chennai and also receives guidance from Sri Muralikrishna and Smt Sreevidhya Chandramouli in Portland, OR USA.
Krishna has performed at various events as part of the local Sankara Drumming Group and has had opportunities to play Ghatam and Kanjira for several programs in the Pacific Northwest, the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana and the Chennai music season. He is also an Indian Raga Fellow for ghatam.
Rishabh Kaushik is from Los Angeles, California. He is a vocal disciple of Vid KN Shashikiran and Carnatic keyboard disciple of Smt Srivaralaxmi Maya. Rishabh comes from a family with significant musical lineage traced back to the eminent mridangist Vid. Thanjavur Vaidyanatha Iyer and Palghat Ghatam Sundaram to Mullaivasal Chandramouli, and Rohan Krishnamurthy from the current generations. His maiden performance was at age 9 during Chennai’s Marghazhi season and since has performed in over 60
plus online and live venues including several prestigious venues in India such as Brahma Gana Sabha, Chembur Fine Arts, Hamsadhwani, Global Carnatic Music Association, Rasika Ranjani Sabha, Madhuradhwani, Carnatica and Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, Tamil Nadu Govt Music College, Mani Krishnaswami to name a few. In the USA he has performed at the prestigious Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana (Ohio), Pallavi Darbar, Carnatica Global-Silicon Andhra University (San Fransisco), Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, Bharat Sangeet Natya Kala Utsav (San Jose), Nadotsavam at SV temple (Minneapolis), Mahaperiva Manimandapam (NJ) etc and also at the Sugam International Carnatic Music festival in Malaysia. He is the youngest inductee for Carnatic keyboard in the Live4You Hall of Fame award 2022 received from Shri N. Murali of Music Academy and a Gold Medal winner in advanced contemporary piano. He is also a recipient of several prizes in Carnatic Vocal and Keyboard from the Cleveland Aradhana and won over 13 prizes in the Sugam Culture and Heritage Foundation international music contest. He has been recognised by the Conejo Valley School Board of Directors, Thousand Oaks for leveraging his musical talent to bring awareness of inclusion in the performing arts. Rishabh has been accompanied by stalwart musicians in India and USA and his performance reviews and social initiative “Service Through Music” has been published in over 10 international newspapers and magazines such as The Hindu, Times of India, Mylapore Times and other city papers in India, Conejo Valley lifestyle, Simi Valley Acorn and Dos Vientos living in USA.
Shruthi: B
Swathi Sri Krishna: Introduction and Early Training:
Swathi Sri Krishna is a Carnatic Classical Vocalist born in a family of musicians and patrons of arts. Her maternal grandparents famously known as the Challas who dedicated their life for the service of art and artists. Young Swathi was introduced to music through her family lineage and started learning from her maternal aunt and family Guru Acharya N.Ch Krishnamacharyulu who was an scholar in music, harikatha and Sanskrit. Swathi was awarded “age exemption” by the All India Radio to perform in AIR at the age of 12. Simultaneously Swathi had the rare opportunity to learn from many scholars and legendary musicians like Vidwan Sri. Voleti Venkateswarulu, Vidwan Sri. Nedunuri Krishnamurthy and Vidwan Sri. Lalgudi G Jayaraman also. Advanced Training in Chennai:
After Sri Nedunuri advised her to migrate to Chennai, Swathi came under the tutelage of Padma Bhushan, Vidwan Sri PS NARAYANASWAMY. She received junior and senior government aided scholarship to learn under Sri PSN. Her senior scholarship got extended also for 2 more years after seeing her inclination and progress in music
She is a graded artist of All India Radio and has performed in all major sabhas all across India.
Awards and Recognition:
She was awarded the Best Sub-Senior Vocalist Voleti Venkateswarulu Award from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha Chennai during the 1999 Gokulashtami festival.
Awarded the Kalasagaram Tambura Award for the best adjudged the best vocalist in the year 1994
Swathi had the rare privilege to sing in an art film titled Shringaram in which the music was directed by Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman. The film received a national award for the best music direction.
Swathi teaches many students in India and abroad. She is a regular performer during the Margazhi season in Chennai during the month of December
Shruti – 5
Diya Godavarti has been learning Carnatic vocal music from Guru Smt. Tara Bangalore in the Greater Boston area from the tender age of 6. Under her guidance, Diya developed a deep love for music, learned the importance of hard work and dedication, and inherited key values of respect, humility, and passion. Diya has performed extensively in the Greater Boston area as well as in Chennai during the Marghazhi Utsavam Festival. Diya has also won numerous prizes at the Cleveland Aradhana competitions and participated in the Sustaining Sampradaya group at Cleveland two years in a row. During the pandemic, Diya raised funds for Sankara Netralaya USA Trust by performing multiple virtual concerts between 2020-2021. She gave a 4 hour concert for her vocal Arangetram performance in August 2017. In addition to performing, Diya has participated in several workshops conducted by renowned musicians and gurus. In 2018, Diya and her Guru received a grant from the Massachusetts State Cultural Council to support Diya’s further advanced training in Carnatic music. Diya is currently a sophomore at Georgia Institute of Technology majoring in Chemical and Bimolecular Engineering.
Vishal Sowmyan has been learning violin since the age of 4 and is under the tutelage of legendary violinist Padmashri Sangeetha kalanidhi Guru A Kanyakumari. Vishal has won several awards and regularly performs concerts and tours around the country at centers including the renowned Carnegie Hall in New York, and the Cleveland Aradhana festival. He is the recipient of the junior musician of the year award for winning the advanced category instituted by the Carnatic Music Association of North America (CMANA).Vishal has played in prestigious sabhas in India during the December Music Festival including Narada Gana Sabha and Vani Mahal. He regularly accompanies visiting artists from India like KS Vishnudev and Ashwath Narayanan. He is currently studying at Emory University.
Vineeth Godavarti has been learning mridangam since the young age of 5 under Vidwan Kulur Jayachandra Rao who is a star in the world of Indian rhythm today. Sri Jayachandra Rao hails from a musical family and trained under mridangam maestros Trichur Sri E. P. Narayan Pisharady and Palakkad Sri T. R. Rajamani, son of the legendary Padma Bhushan Palakkad Mani Iyer.
Vineeth performed his Arangetram in Aug, 2023 where he shared the stage with world- renowned musicians, Vidwan Sri. Pattabhirama Pandit and Vidwan Sri. Giridhar Udupa. Vineeth is also pursuing vocal training with Guru Smt. Tara Bangalore, and has accompanied many students at Anubhava School of Music. Vineeth has accompanied for Arangetram in the Greater Boston area and performed at local temple programs. Vineeth is currently a freshman at Westford Academy. Apart from learning mridangam, Vineeth is passionate about math, and has placed in local and national competitions. In his free time, Vineeth loves to play piano, basketball and chess, and hang out with his friends and his sister.
Sriranjani Haran, started learning vocal Carnatic Music at the age of two from her mother. She continued her music education under Guru Smt. Radhika Pattabhiraman at the age of eight. She has been learning for past four years from Guru Smt. Sumithra Vasudev. She also learns the Veena from her aunt Guru Meena Swaminathan and Violin from Guru Sri Kovai S Chandran. Sriranjani has performed many solo concerts. Notable concerts are at Hamsadhwani Chennai in December 2019, Shrutilaya and Nadavinodam at New York, USA. In addition she has also given performances at Shrivari temple in New Jersey, Mahavallabha Ganapathi Temple, Shri Shirdi Saibaba Temple in New York, and in Varasiddhi Vinayaka Temple in Bangalore. She was featured in The Hindu newspaper, in the column “Chennai Marghazhi Young Artiste of the Day”. She has also won many awards in competitions conducted by several organizations.
Sriranjani is a freshman at Macaulay Honors program at Queens College. She is majoring in Computer Science. In addition she also plays Tennis in her spare time and was the captain of her school tennis team.
Shruthi ---- 5 or G
- Sruthi Venkataraman is currently pursuing her advanced training in Bharatanatyam under her Guru Madurai R Muralidharan and takes Masterclasses from Various Gurus.
- Sruthi is also currently learning Carnatic music. She has been a part of the Cleveland Thygaraja Aradhana for the past few years Under the Tutelage of Sri Ashok Ramani.
- Sruthi completed her Arangetram In Bharatanatyam 2 years back.
- She took on the '50 Jathi challenge' and Tamil Annai Varnam initiated by Shri Madhurai Muralidharan and entered the Guinness, Asia, and India Book of Records.
- She has won prizes at prominent competitive platforms like Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival, Fetna, Global Spring Nectar Foundation, Saptami Nationals, Papanasam competitions, Star Quest, NATS, Radha Krishna Sanskruthi, and numerous other competitions.
- Sruthi also won First prize and received an Award From Actress and Dancer Meenakshi Seshadri In Dallas Star Kalakkar.
- She is also a Finalist In Shravya Season 4 conducted By Smt, Sudha Raghunathan.
- Sruthi is also a 3rd-degree black belt in Taekwondo and has won Gold in Major Taekwondo Competitions like the U.S. Open, Grand Slam, National Championships, Grand Prix Final, and Puerto Rico Open. She represented Team USA In the Costa Rica Pan Am Championships won Gold and Came up to the quarter-final in Sofia, Bulgaria in the World Championships. She also won Bronze at The Dracula Open Championships In Romania, Europe. She is Currently An AAU A Team member and Represents the U.S.A. In the world.
- She has also been a part of Broadway-style productions such as ThinkIndia Foundation, Classic Bollywood, East meets West Production with Live Orchestra, Thirukural Dance Production By FETNA By Padmashree Narthaki Nataraj, New York, Dallas, and Chennai, Sanga Tamizh production By Sir Madurai R Muralidharan.
- She Performs Actively In The Temple Nadopasanas In The DFW Texas Area. Her Notable performance was at the Opening of The Manimandapm In New Jersey.
- Sruthi has also performed in many dance events to help raise funds for charity Organisations Like Dance for Cure, and various other organizations.
- She also participated in the 2022 International Waves Conference, and wrote and presented on the topic, “How to Become a Hindu.
Awards Received:
Natya Mayuri and Kala Prathibha From Rotary Club of Tiruvallur, Margzhi Utsav -2- Dec 25, 2022.
Outstanding Athlete Award From Texas State Taekwondo Association Dec 10, 2022.
Proclamation from the Mayor, City of Frisco, TX- Mar 1, 2022,
AAU Varsity Award
Principal and Presidents award in 8th grade
Concerts In Chennai:
RR Sabha- Anusham Arts Academy- Jan 2, 2023
Hamsadhwani Sabha - Dec 29, 2022
Vocal-Sai Murugan Trust Hall Concert Dec 8, 2021
Prameela Mandayam is a highly accomplished musician, teacher, and performer based in the greater Seattle area. Her musical journey began at the tender age of five under the guidance of her grandmother, Smt. Janaki Ammal, a renowned musician herself. Since then,
Prameela has dedicated herself to the pursuit of musical excellence.
Currently, Prameela is honing her skills under the tutelage of two distinguished mentors, Mrs. Anahita Ravindran and Sangeeth Samrat Sri Chitravina N Ravikiran Sir. Their guidance and expertise have further enriched her musical abilities, shaping her into the artist she is today.
Prameela holds deep gratitude for her former gurus, Smt. Prathima Shashidar, Smt. Padmavathi Tyagaraju, and Smt. Meera Krishna, who played a pivotal role in her musical education. Their guidance and mentorship laid a strong foundation for her musical journey.
As a respected teacher in the greater Seattle area, Prameela has made a significant impact on the local music community. Her teaching endeavors have nurtured numerous aspiring musicians, who have gone on to participate in prestigious events such as the Melharmony Festival, Cleveland Aradhana, Tyagaraja Aradhana, Purandara Aradhana, and Annamarcharya Jayanti celebrations, among others.
Prameela's diverse background in both Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dance forms has provided her with a deep appreciation for the connection between music and movement. She thoroughly enjoys singing for dance performances, infusing her renditions with emotive expressions and rhythm.
With her unwavering passion, extensive training, and commitment to her art, Prameela Mandayam continues to captivate audiences with her soulful and enchanting performances. Her dedication to preserving and promoting the rich heritage of Indian classical music is truly commendable.
Madhusudhan Vadlamani had his initial training in Carnatic vocal from his aunt Smt. Sujana Parupalli at the age of 6. He later switched to pursuing Carnatic Violin and is learning under the tutelage of Smt. Seetha Ramakrishnan and Vidushi Ranjani Ramakrishnan for the past 13 years. Madhu has won several first prizes in the Manodharmam aspects of Alapana, Swara Kalpana, Neraval, and Pallavi in both junior and senior categories in addition to winning second prize in the concert competition at the Cleveland Thyagaraja Music Festival. Madhu has given several solo concerts and has provided accompaniment to several leading artists such as Kalaimamani VIdwan R. Suryaprakash, Vidushi Smt. Vrinda Acharya, Chitraveena Ganesh to name a few.
Vaidehi Subramanyan is an Australian bharatanatyam dancer, performing regularly and teaching in Canberra, Australia. She is a disciple of gurus Smt K.P. Yesodha and Smt Ambika Buch, both alumni of Kalakshetra.
The granddaughter of Kalakshetra alumnus and teacher the late Thangamani Nagarajan, Vaidehi was drawn to bharatanatyam from a young age. Since presenting her first solo performance in 2019, Vaidehi has pursued the art form seriously and performs solo regularly in Canberra, including amongst a number of art exhibitions at the Drill Hall Gallery. Currently, Vaidehi is an “in house artist” at Gorman Arts Centre, one of the oldest arts institutions in Canberra, and an active member of Ausdance ACT, the peak dance body in Australia, for whom she has performed and conducted workshops. She also teaches a class of young adults using the traditional methodology imparted to her by her grandmother and gurus.
Vaidehi studies Carnatic vocal under S. Bagyalakshmi of Kalakshetra. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts from the Australian National University and currently works as a legislative drafter with the Australian government
Lavanya Karthikeyan is a dancer, vocalist, and violinist from Bridgewater, NJ, USA. Lavanya began her artistic journey at a young age, introduced to dance by her mother, Smt. Radhamani Varadhachary, and starting violin lessons at five with Smt. Sandhya Anand. She currently trains in Bharathanatyam under Sri. Shankar Kandasamy, in Carnatic vocal under Vid. Abilash Giriprasad, and in Carnatic violin from Vid. Rajeev Mukundan.
Lavanya has graced stages in the USA, India and Malaysia, showcasing her talents in South Indian Classical art forms. She has given noteworthy performances, including in Chennai and at the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana, and topped the Indian Raga Championship board for both violin and dance in 2017, underscoring her nationwide artistic impact.
Recently, Lavanya was named a YoungArts Winner with Distinction in Dance World Dance/Indian for the 2024 YoungArts national competition ( The National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists )and is invited to Miami to collaborate with other Young arts winners with Distinction in Various disciplines. Motivated by her passions, Lavanya aspires to pursue higher education in Musical Theater. She aims to leave an enduring mark in dance and music as she continues to evolve as an artist.
Laya Venkatesan is a passionate dancer who has been pursuing the Kalakshetra style of Bharata Natyam since the age of five. She completed her arangetram in 2015 in New Jersey under the guidance of Guru Smt. Selvi Chandranathan and her mother Geetha Ranganathan. Laya has participated in numerous concerts across the tri-state area throughout her school days and was also actively involved in her classical dance club at Carnegie Mellon University. She loves attending dance concerts and cultural events and has attended dance classes at Guru Kalaimamani Smt. Roja Kannan's Bharatha Natyalaya in Chennai.
- A third year Computer Engineering Student, an aspiring singer and keen student of Carnatic music.
- Born on Feb 13, 2004, in Chennai, started my initial music lessons under Ms. Bhavani Srinivasan
(disciple of Ms. Kalyani Sharma, Disciple of Sri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer) and then joined the
Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Vidyalaya in Mumbai.
- Continued learning from Sri P Venkataraman (TSK School), after moving to Toronto, from 2013.
- In 2016 started more rigorous learning under the mentorship and tutelage of Ms. Sutikshna
Veeravalli, (Performing Carnatic vocalist, Bharatanatyam dancer and teacher) and from noted singer & Guru Kalaimamani Dr R Suryaprakash, of the great Madurai Mani Iyer Bani.
- Part of Masterclasses taught by Sangeeta Kala Acharya Smt. Suguna Varadachari.
- Attended workshops / training sessions conducted by well known musicians and Gurus
Organizations & list of Key Performances
- iCarnatic Chicago Summer Music and Dance Festival – in person Aug 2023
- Susvara foundation – in person and live concert in June 2023
- Mani Krishnaswamy Academy – live concert in June 2023
- Naada Madhuram series 2022, 2021 and 2020
- Online Navaratri series for Acharyanet – October 2022
- NIT Trichy Amritavarshini Series, IMPL, Carnatica 2020 & 2021
- Arts to Save the Hearts foundation during 2020-21
- Navaratri, Rama Navami utsavam, including annual day celebrations of my Guru 2016 to 2019
- Navaratri Utsavam @ SVBF, Karpaga Vinayakar Temple & Siva temple from 2016-19.
- Cleveland Thyagaraja Utsavam 2017: Sustaining Sampradaya & lead singer of the invocation
krithi (Thyagaraja Guru Ashraye) and participated in the Pancharatnam Singing.
- Thyagaraja Aradhana & Dikshitar Day – BKM Toronto, 2015
- Part of various group performances in Toronto and US.
Awards & Recognitions
Second in Guess the Krithi contest by Sudhaarnava Academy of Musical Excellence
Best vocal singer in the annual day celebrations & Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Vidyalaya
Shruti (Vocal) : B
Nitya Sriram is a disciple of Guru Sreeliji Arun at Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS). She graduated from SIFAS in 2017 with a diploma in Bharatanatyam and was conferred the Natya Visharad Title Award. She has performed extensively in Singapore as a solo artiste in various festivals such as SIFAS Festival of the Arts and Bhaskareeyam and is an accomplished ensemble dancer. She has been a company dancer with Apsaras Arts Dance Company since 2021, performing with them in multiple productions over the past 2 years in Singapore, Chennai and France.