Artist-Profiles

T.S. SATHYAVATHY

Sathyavathi trained under her sister and later R. K. Srikantan in Carnatic vocal music. She developed expertise in musicology under B. V. K. Sastry and Mridangam under K. Venkataraman. A seasoned performer at national and international venues, she first performed at 16 in Karnataka Ganakala Parishat, Bengaluru.

M. RAGHAVENDRA

A Carnatic vocalist from Karnataka, Raghavendra holds degrees in commerce and music. He served in All India Radio, eventually becoming Assistant Station Director. Known for his lyrical clarity and emotional depth, he is an “A” grade artist. He now lives in Mysore after retiring from AIR.

T.R. SRINATH & GROUP

T. R. Srinath began flute lessons at eight, later studying under renowned flautists and vocalists. Winning first prize in AIR Music Competitions in 1976, he became a graded AIR artist. An “A” grade artist since 1988, he has performed at prestigious venues in India and internationally.

N.R. PRASHANTH

Prashanth, a B-High artist of All India Radio, trained under esteemed teachers like R. K. Padmanabha and Smt. Neela Ramgopal. A dedicated performer, he taught Carnatic music in Singapore, rising to Academy Registrar. An engineer by education, he now performs at prestigious forums globally.

R.K. PADMANABHA

RKP is a renowned Carnatic vocalist, performer, and music teacher from Karnataka. He established the “Sapta Swara Devatha Dhyana Mandira” to honor musicians. Since 2004, he has been thePresident of Karnataka Ganakala Parishat. RKP has received the Kempegowda Award and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

THE MALLADI BROTHERS

Malladi Sreeramprasad and Malladi Ravikumar are a Carnatic music vocalist duo. They started their music education under Malladi Srirammurthy and Malladi Suri Babu, their grandfather and father respectively. Subsequently they studied under Sripada Pinakapani, Nedunuri Krishnamurthy and Voleti Venkatesva

SUDHA RAGUNATHAN

Received her initial training in Carnatic music from her mother V. Choodamani. From the age of three, she began to learn bhajans, Hindu devotional songs. Her tutelage continued under B. V. Lakshman. In 1977, she received an Indian government scholarship to study music under a doyenne of Carnatic music, Dr. M.L Vasantha Kumari, whose student she remained forthirteen years.

VIJAYSURYA

Shri Vijaysurya, born on July 16, 1996, is a highly talented and versatile musician, renowned for his exceptional Nadaswaram performances. Encouraged by his parents, he has mastered multiple instruments, including flute, saxophone, and clarinet. Vijaysurya is celebrated for blending traditional melodies with various genres in his performances.

R.N. SREELATHA

An “A top” grade Carnatic vocalist, Dr. R. N. Sreelatha has performed on prestigious platforms worldwide. As Karnataka’s first woman with a doctoral degree in Carnatic music, she has guided multiple PhD students. She also serves as a member of the Karnataka Sangeetha Nritya Academy.

ARAVINDA HEBBAR

A retired Botany professor, V. Aravinda Hebbar is passionate about promoting music. He has authored books on botany and music and founded the ‘Raga Dhana’ initiative. Hebbar also leads ‘The Lathangi School of Music’ in Udupi and is currently a member of Karnataka Sangeeta Nritya Academy.

SRIKANTAM NAGENDRA SASTRY

Vid. Dr. Srikantham Nagendra Shastry belongs to theesteemed Chintalapalli Parampara. Trained under his grandfather, uncle, and other renowned teachers, he mastered various aspects of music and tala techniques. A respected performer and scholar, Shastry has delivered lectures and concerts at prestigious platforms across India.

VIJAYALAKSHMI SURESH BALEKUNDRE

Dr. Vijaya is Karnataka’s first lady cardiologist and pioneer in pediatric cardiology. Formerly Professor and HOD at Sri Jayadeva Institute, she is a brilliant academic with 39 gold medals and pioneering work in acute rheumatic fever. Author of key medical texts, she has received 68 awards, including the Rajyotsava award.

T.K. RAMACHANDRAN

A 1991 batch IAS officer, T. K. Ramachandran has served the Tamil Nadu government in various capacities. A B.Tech and M. Tech graduate, he is also a Carnatic vocalist, trained by Chitraveena Ravikiran and Sangeeta Kalanidhi T. Brinda. He has performed extensively across India.

MANASI PRASAD

Manasi, a Carnatic vocalist, has performed at prestigious venues worldwide, including Madras Music Academy and Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival. An ICCR-empaneled artist, she has toured six continents. With over 25 years of experience, she is a celebrated performer in India, the U.S., Europe, and beyond

Dr. K. GAYATHRI

Smt. Gayatri, a disciple of Suguna Purushothaman and Suguna Varadachari, is an award-winning Carnatic vocalist. She has received multiple Senior Best Vocalist awards and is noted for her pallavi renditions. She holds a Master of Philosophy in Music, and a PhD in Carnatic music.

S. SHANKAR

Vidwan S. Shankar, a Carnatic vocalist, trained under his mother and Smt. Nagarathna Bai. An AIR “A top” grade artist, he has performed extensively in India and the U.S. Known for his robust voice and mastery over raga renditions, he has also directed music for AIR and Doordarshan.

SUMA SUDHINDRA

Suma Sudhindra is an acclaimed veena exponent in the Carnatic genre. Trained by Raja Rao and Chitti Babu, she received the Rajyotsava Award in 2001. Based in Bangalore, she is passionate about music and an avid bonsai collector. Her spouse is a dentist, and she has two daughters.

SUKANYA PRABHAKAR

Dr. Sukanya Prabhakar is a highly accomplished Carnatic vocalist with over 40 years of concert experience. An “A” grade artist with All India Radio and Doordarshan, she has also directed numerous musical features for All India Radio. In addition to her performances, Dr. Sukanya has authored several authoritative books on music and serves as the publisher of Surabhi Sinchana, a respected quarterly music magazine. Her contributions to the field have earned her numerous prestigious awards and accolades, affirming her prominent position in the world of classical music.

M.S. SHEELA

M. S. Sheela, a Carnatic and devotional singer, is an AIR and Doordarshan artist. A disciple of R. K. Srikantan, she received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2019. Her singing spans classical, light music, and devotional genres, making her a celebrated vocalist in India.

R N THYAGARAJAN & R N THARANATHAN

Rudrapatnam Brothers, R. N. Thyagarajan and Dr. R. N. Tharanathan, are a renowned Carnatic vocal duo from Karnataka. Hailing from a family of musicians, they were awarded the Padma Shri in 2018, becoming the first Carnatic vocal duo to receive the honor from the Government of India.

SARVAMANGALA SHANKAR

Dr. Sarvamangala Shankar is a music educator and organizer, having completed her M.A. in Music from Bengaluru University. She has led music workshops and events across Karnataka, promoting classical music education. She has also served as a member of the Karnataka Sangeetha Nrithya Academy.

PATTABHI RAMA PANDIT TS

T. S. Pattabhirama Pandit is a traditional Carnatic vocalist trained by masters like K.V. Narayanaswamy. An AIR “A” grade artist, he has performed at prestigious festivals in India and abroad. His repertoire includes compositions from the Trinity and other
renowned composers.

NAGAMANI SRINATH

Dr. G. N. Nagamani Srinath is an acclaimed Carnatic vocalist and AIR “A Top” artist. Known for her rich voice, orthodoxy, and improvisational prowess, she has performed internationally. With over 55 years of experience, she has carved a distinct niche in Carnatic music as a teacher, composer, and concert performer.

AMRUTHA VENKATESH

Amrutha Venkatesh, a celebrated Carnatic vocalist, has performed extensively in India and the U.S. She is known for her analytical approach and versatile repertoire.An AIR “A Top”artist,she is also a composer and tunes compositions by various ma

SANDEEP NARAYAN

Sandeep Narayan, born in the U.S., is a leading Carnatic vocalist. He trained under Shri KS Krishnamurthy and Shri Sanjay Subrahmanyan. After completing his studies in California, he moved to Chennai in 2002 to pursue music full-time. He is now a globally recognized performer and teacher.

D. BALAKRISHNA

D. Balakrishna, a Carnatic veena artist, was trained by his father, the legendary Doraiswamy Iyengar. His first stage performance was in 1975. An AIR “top grade” artist, he has performed at prestigious venues, including the Madras Music Season, and continues the rich Mysore veena tradition.

MYSORE BROTHERS

The violinist duo, Mysore Nagaraj and Mysore Manjunath, trained under their father, violinist Sri Mahadevappa. Known for their performances worldwide, they received the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2017. They have also conducted academic workshops at prestigious universities across the U.S., Japan, Europe, and Australia.

ARCHANA AND SAMANVI

Archana and Samanvi have performed over 100 concerts across prestigious stages in cities like Chennai, New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. They have graced renowned Sabhas such as Music Academy and Krishna Gana Sabha. Co-authors of Keerthanas of Karnataka, they’ve also released 101 compositions on YouTube under the ‘Daasaarchane Proj

ABHIRAMA BODE

Vidwan Abhirama Bode is a renowned Carnatic vocalist, trained under Vidushi R A Ramamani and Vidwan T A S Mani. A B-High graded AIR artist, he has performed widely across India and abroad. Recipient of awards like the DK Pattammal Award, he is currently an Assistant Professor at Sri Sathya Sai University.