Shri Rajat Kumar Behera

Shri Rajat Kumar Behera is a professional tabla player who has performed globally. He is a great teacher and a performer with an experience of more than 20 years. 

He has worked with  some greatest names like A.R. Rehman, Harris Jeyraj, Udit Narayan, Sadhana Sargam, Amit Kumar, S.P.Balasubramanium and Anuradha Sriram. 
He has recorded several programs for Doordarshan and has performed on my prestigious events.

Smt. Radhika Venkat Ramana

Carnatic Classical Vocal and Violin

Born in Chennai, started learning Music under her parents Smt Rajalakshmi Jayaraman and

Shri E. R.Jayaraman, at the age of 10 gave first vocal concert at the age 15 of the

Thyagaraja Festival at Tiruchirapalli, Graded ariste of All India Radio, Bangalore.

Advanced Training : 

Basic Violin in Trichy. Went to Tamil Nadu Government Music College at Adayar in Chennai
to learn vocal and Violin under famous musicians like :

1. Padmashri Prof TN. Krishnan (Violin)

2. Padmshri ProfPalkad K. VINarayanaswamy (Vocal)

3. Prof M.S. Anantha Raman (Violin)

4. Prof B. Rajam Iyer (Vocal)

Award Earned & The Distinction in both Vocal and Violin and honoured with a Title "ISAI KALAMANI" (Diploma in Music)

Experience:

Has been performing for more than 20 years

Employment : 

Worked as a staff artiste (Violin) for songs and Drama Division in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Goverment of India from 1979 to 1981

Performance

Given performances all over India, Some of the prestigious performances include:

  1. Konark Dance Festival (Orissa) Vocal (for dance) 1999

2. Dashara Festival (Mysore) Vocal (for dance) 1999

3. Navaraspur Utsav (Bijapur) Violin

4. South Zone cultural festival (Tanjore), Violin

5. Karnataka Ganakala parishath (Violin) 2003

6. Yuvanika, Jayaram Seva mandali (Vocal) 2001-2002

7. Bharathiya Vidya Bhavana (Vocal) 2003

8. Ramaseva Mandali (Violin)

9. ISKON (Vocal) 200310. Mysore Vasthu Pradharshana (Vocal) 2003, 2004

11. Ravindra Kalaskethra, Odakatthur Mutt, Chowdaiah Halletc 1999-2003

12. Given performance in leading channels like Door Darshan, Udaya TV etc.

13. World Telugu Conference 2004.

Awards:

1. Priyadarshini Indiragandhi Award for National Integration through Music in the year 2000.

2. Nethaji Sathbavana Prashasthi 2003.

Teaching experience:

Trained many students in both Vocal & Violin for over 2decades, many students have

appeared for music exams with distinction, a composer in Music, composed music for various

schools for their projects.

National Integration

Knows 6 languages and can sing in 7 languages : Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi,

Sanskrit and Marathi Abhangs.

PRESS COMMENTS

Well known Vocalist and Violinist Smt. Radhika Venkat Ramana gave a wonderful Vocal recital

during the Ramanavami celebration of the Laldasgudi Shri Venkatramana swamy temple on  May 3rd 2002. Her Alaphana for karaharapriya "Rama Nee Samana mevaru" was note worhty

for its depth and the strong swara pras tharas hada wide variety the devara nama "Sakala Graha Bala Neene " in Altaana , had a fast tempo, while " Banturithi kolu" ( Hamsanaadha) was an excellent rendition.

Dr.M.Surya Prasad THE HINDU 3-5-2002

Radhika Venkat Ramana's Violin support for (Flute) was excellent and unobtrusive, for Gana Gruha,on August 8, 1999

PGSrinivas a murhty

PRAJAWANI 8-8-1999

Accompanist Radhika Venkat Ramana (Violin) proved to be adept. at following the main while yet retraining her identity at the concert at Bharathiya Vidya Bhavana on April 25, 2003 for Ganakala parishath Special programme.

Kusuma Rao

ABHIVYAKTI

Smt. Sumithra Vasudev

V. Sumithra (Sumithra Vasudev), classical Carnatic vocalist and disciple of renowned musician Sangita Kalanidhi Vidushi Smt. R. Vedavalli, has been performing in the field of music for nearly two decades. Even at the age of five her passion for the art was recognized and nurtured by her grandmother, Smt. Janakam Chari, and her parents, Smt. Padmaja and Sri. R. Vasudev. Later, at the age of eight she started her training under Smt. R. Vedavalli.

Training under her in the Gurukula style of learning has given Sumithra the good fortune of moving very closely with her Guru, through which she has imbibed the rich tradition and style that marks Smt. Vedavalli’s music. Sumithra’s music stands out for its classicism and depth, while emphasizing manodharma within the specified lakshana. Niraval and Vrttam singing and Ragam Thanam Pallavi rendition are special areas which portray her own style as well as her great lineage.

Sumithra has been performing from the age of eleven. One of her first performances was for the ‘Spirit of Youth’ festival of the Music Academy where her concert was adjudged as ‘The Best Concert’ and she won a prize for it. She is an A grade artiste of the All India Radio. She performs regularly in India and abroad. She is a recipient of the title of “Yuva Kala Bharati” and the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar National award from the Sangeet Natak Akademi, among many other titles and awards. She has released many thematic CDs and cassettes apart from live and studio concert recordings.

In addition to being a performing artiste and active researcher of music, Sumithra has a deep interest in language and literature, particularly in Samskritam and Tamil. She has set to music many slokas and verses from classical and modern Sanskrit literature and has popularized them through presentations and demonstrations in various musical and Samskrita gatherings. The Nalayira Divya Prabandham in Tamil is of special interest to her. She has presented exclusive Divya Prabandha concerts and has tuned and accompanied her Guru in CD renderings of the same. She has also learnt the art of Harikatha from veteran exponent, Kalyanapuram Shri. R. Aravamudan.

Married to Sri. Vijay Madhavan, who is a disciple of renowned Bharatanatyam artiste Padmashri Smt. Chitra Visveswaran. He is a recipient of the title of “Yuva Kala Bharati”. He performs regularly at various festivals, and has been performing at the Bhagavatha Mela for nearly two decades. He runs a dance school, “Rechita Nrityalaya”, where he trains students in the classical Bharatanatyam style of dance.

Shows & Major Performances

PERFORMANCES
•V. Sumithra is an A grade artist of the All India Radio.
•She performs for all the prestigious Sabhas in Chennai and in various cities all over India during the December music season and also in other festivals throughout the year.
•She has participated in the Thyagaraja Aradhana in Muscat.
•She has performed many thematic concerts – on Kshetra (Kanchi) for the Carnatica Archival Centre, on Dikshitar kritis in Guruguhanjali and Muscat, and on the Nalayira Divya Prabandham in Coimbatore and Bangalore.
•She was featured in Sangeet Pratibha, a festival for young musicians under the auspices of SANGEET NATAK ACADEMY in Vishakhapatnam in October, 2007.
•She was invited to perform in the Hindu’s NOVEMBER FEST in 2008, which was very well received.
•Sumithra provides vocal support to her Guru in concerts in Chennai and other cities in India.
•She has been on a concert tour with her Guru to the Middle East.
•She participates in all her Guru’s thematic presentations and lecture demonstrations and provides vocal support in her CD recordings.
•She has been regularly accompanying her Guru in her SANGEET SAMMELAN concerts on the All India Radio.

SCHOLARSHIPS
•FELLOWSHIP from THE SANGEET NATAK ACADEMY to have special training in Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi under senior vidwan Sri. B.Krishnamurthi, for the year 2008-2009.
•Was selected by the TamilNadu Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram, Chennai under the Youth Talent Promotion scheme to give a series of concerts in 1998.
•Under the ARIYAKUDI RAMANUJA IYENGAR SCHOLARSHIP from THE MUSIC ACADEMY, CHENNAI in the year 1998-99.
•STERLING HOLIDAY RESORTS SCHOLARSHIP for two years from 1995.

WORKSHOPS
•Took part in a workshop by Vidwan Sangita Kalanidhi Nedunuri Shri. Krishnamurty on kritis of Annamayya and Bhadrachala Ramadas.
•Participated in Ragam Tanam Pallavi workshop by Sangita Kalanidhi Smt. R. Vedavalli.
•Participated in workshop on the kritis of Mysore Shri. Vasudevachar by his grandson Shri. S. Rajaraman .
•Took part in workshops on Muthusvami Dikshitar kritis conducted by Vidwan Calcutta Shri. K.S. Krishnamurty and Shri. B. Rajam Iyer under the auspices of the Music Academy.
•Participated in Melaragamalika workshop where the ‘72 Melaragamalika’, one of the longest compositons in Classical music, was taught by Smt. R. Vedavalli.

CASSETTES AND CDS
•Sumithra was featured during the HMV Music Festival called PARAMPARA at the Narada Gana Sabha in 1999 and the concert was released as a live recording.
• Thematic CDs – , Devi Kritis, Kritis of Narayana Tirtha, Dakshin (Songs in ragas Sri, Ranjani and Sriranjani), Sri Krishna Smaranam (songs on Lord Krishna), Vaggeyakara (featuring songs of Ramanathapuram Srinivasa Iyengar), Tasmai Sri Gurave namaha ( thematic Cd of songs on Guru), VCD - Soundarya Lahari, released in 2001, where Sumithra has set to tune and rendered the verses of Adi Sankara’s stotra ‘Soundarya Lahari’.
•Contributed to a documentary VCD called “Saint Thyagaraja” by a rendition of kritis of the Saint in the original patantara.
•Has released many concert CDs. Some of them are- pallavi concert CD, a live recording of her concert in Music Academy in 2000, ‘Samarpanam’ – a live recording of concert for Carnatica Archival Centre in the December season and a live concert recording for Charsur.
•Kavi Kokila Manjari - a double CD album featuring musical compositions and stotras of Sanskrit scholar and writer, Dr. V. Raghavan , where Sumithra has set to music, the stotras and some of the compositions.
•Sumithra is presently working on a Cd on the kshetra of Tiruvarur.

RESEARCH
•Sumithra worked with the translation project of the monumental work ‘Sangita Sampradaya Pradarshini' by the Music Academy, Chennai.
•Sumithra conducted a lecture demonstration on Niraval singing for school students in 2007 organized by the Music Forum in Rani Seethai Hall.
•She is a regular participant in the activities of Dr. Raghavan Centre for Performing Arts and Samskrita Ranga and sings for their Sanskrit dramas.
•She has set to music many Sanskrit poems of great poets like Kalidasa and has presented them in Samskrita gatherings.
•Sumithra conducted a lecture demonstration on Niraval singing for school students in 2007 organized by the Music Forum in Rani Seethai Hall.
•She is a regular participant in the activities of Dr. Raghavan Centre for Performing Arts and Samskrita Ranga and sings for their Sanskrit dramas.
•She has set to music many Sanskrit poems of great poets like Kalidasa and has presented them in Samskrita gatherings.

Smt. Mythili Kannan

A very gracious Smt. Mythili Kannan was born in Thiruvaiyaru, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, a place renowned for its association with Saint Thyagaraja, who, along with Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri, comprised the Trinity of Carnatic music. Saint Thyagaraja composed some of his greatest works here in this great place. 

Smt. Mythili Kannan started her musical journey at a very young age. Apart from being AIR’s ‘ A’ Graded artist, she is a renowned Guru and has conducted several workshops on Oothukkadu Venkatakavi Songs, Thyagaraja’s Divya Nama Krithis, Syama Sastri’s SwaraJathis , Muthhuswami Deekshithar’s special Krithis and many of our traditional songs. At present she is working as a guest lecturer for Government Music College, Thiruvaiyaru. She has composed music for more than 400 Geetam songs and more than 100 Sangiya Tamil Padalgal. She has been performing for many years now. She is the Director of MK’s Academy of Classical Music. She has various titles to her credit, to explain a few, Tamil Nadu Government has honoured her as Kalai Nanmani and Gana Kala Mani, Narayana Theertha Sevanitha by Narayana Theertha Committee, Suswara Naada Mani by Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha, Kanchipuram’s Suswara Gaana Varshini and many more.

Smt. Gayathri Saikrishna

Gayathri Saikrishna is a vibrant young Carnatic vocalist. She is a very talented and committed artist with many stage performances to her credit. She has Masters Degree in Music and has been teaching for past 5 years. Her methodical teaching starting from fundamentals helps budding artist to gear up for their future musical journey.

Shri Iman Das

Iman Das

We are proud to be associated with renowned Hindustani Vocal exponent Mr. Iman Das ji. A very positive and open minded person who is always ready to take on new avenues to uphold the tradition of this great art.

He is one of the best young representatives of the Patiala Gharana. He has learnt from maestro Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty of Patiala gharana and shri Shantanu Bhattacharyya of the same gharana, he is currently under tutelage of Pandit Kalyan Basu, a direct disciple of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Saheb. Teen saptak ka sapats and powerful Gamak taans are the particularly distinct features of Iman's khayals while his thumris bring tears to one's eyes. Iman received scholarships from Shri Aurobindo Ashram(Delhi) for Indian classical music. Received the “Sutanuti Samman” in 2004. First classical vocalist to be chosen as the honorary secretary of “MORE”(musical oasis for resurrection) under United Minds for Peace Society. He has performed all over India and abroad in germany,uk,belgium,holland,austria etc. Iman has recently released his own album known as 'Raag Rang' by Questz World which is available at all music stores.