LOTUS August 2013 monthly concert

DATE: SATURDAY, AUGUST 17TH, 2013

TIME: 1.15 PM TO 4.00 PM

VENUE: SANATHANA DHARMA KENDRA

193 Commercial St,

Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Phone: (408) 481-9242

Google Map

These are free events. All are welcome. Please feel free to spread this message to your friends and relatives.

Anusha Sundar:

Anusha has been learning Carnatic vocal music under the tutelage of Sangeeta Vidushi Smt. Jayashree Varadarajan founder/ director of Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandir School of Fine Arts, based in Sunnyvale, California since Kindergarten. Anusha’s love for music has grown throughout the years and was exuded through her numerous performances. She has sung in various temples and other venues with SRLKM, won first place at the Bay Area Telugu Association, and performed a solo concert under Nandalala's Mission in 2012.

In addition to learning Carnatic vocal, she also took part in Honor Choir for 2 years, qualified for and participated in the Western Regional Honor Choir, and has sung in several choirs and talent shows. Anusha also passionately pursues acting and Drama. Anusha won the title of best actress while acting in her self-directed play, Macbeth, and participating in her school's musical.

One of her activities she takes most pride in is being a part of the American Cancer Society's Relay team and is the president of her school's American Cancer Society Club. During this summer of 2013, Anusha discovered her interest in physiology and other sciences in the Cardiothoracic Surgical Skills Summer Internship program at Stanford. Singing Carnatic music stands as her one of her most gratifying activities, and Anusha looks forward to continue pursuing this form of art. Currently she is a Junior at Lynbrook High.

Manasa Tipparam:

Manasa has been learning music from Sangeeta Vidushi Smt. Jayashree Varadarajan, founder and director of Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandir, School of Fine Arts, based in Sunnyvale, California since 2010. She showed a keen interest and apetite for music from a very young age. She started learning at the age of four from Smt. Srilatha Kandala. While living in Bangalore, She learned Carnatic vocal music from Vidushi Anjali Sudhir, Geethajali School of music. Manasa has performed in many cultural events at various temples in the Bay Area such as Badarikashrama, Shiva Murugan temple, Concord, and Maha Kaleshwar Temple, Santaclara. She has won prizes for dance and music competitions in the events organized by various organizations such as the Bay Area Telugu Association and Silicon Andhra. She was also part of the team that performed at the Guinness World Record event in 2011. She has been a continued participant and volunteer at the Chinmaya Mission alongside other volunteering activities for the community.

Manasa will be a senior at Lynbrook High this fall. She is also a badminton player and plays for her school's badminton team. Her other interests include art, dance, volunteering and reading.

Keerthi Sundaramurthy ( Violin)

Keerthi Sundaramurthy is a Senior at Washington High School, Fremont. She has been learning violin from Sri Saravanapriyan Sriraman, disciple of Sri Lalgudi GJR Krishnan. She has participated in the Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana festival and was awarded 1st and 2nd prizes for senior category Violin. She has also won prizes in the Papanasam Sivan competition, and OSAAT. Keerthi has performed and accompanied at various places like Lotus, Nandalala, and for several artists and school events in the Bay Area. Apart from Violin, she learns carnatic vocal from Sri Ajay Namboodiri, disciple of Sri Neyveli Santhanagopalan, over Skype. Other than music, Keerthi plays Varsity tennis for her school team, and has been involved in Speech and Debate.

Akshay Venkatesan (Mridangam)

Akshay Venkatesan started learning mridangam at Sarvalghu Percussion Art Center, San Jose, CA at the age of 5 under the able guidance of `Laya Kala Ratna’ Sri Ramesh Srinivasan, a leading disciple of Mridangam Maestro Late Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri Vellore G. Ramabhadran. Akshay is going to 7thgrade at Chaboya Middle School, San Jose.

Akshay had his mridangam arangetram on January 03, 2013 at Tattvaloka, Chennai. He was blessed to accompany Sri. Chitravina N. Ravikiran on Chitravina, Dr. Karthick on Ghatam and Kum. Akkarai Subhalakshmi on Violin. Also, he was blessed with having Dr. Balamuralikrishna as Distinguished Guest of Honor and Sri. N. Gopalaswami (Former Chief election commissioner of India) as Chief Guest.

Akshay has participated in April 2011 Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana `Sustaining Sampradaya Concert’ and Carnatic Symphony in 2013. Akshay has been accompanying vocalists and instrumentalists in Bay area for the last three years.

In addition, Akshay learns vocal carnatic music from Sri. Hari Devanath. His other activities include playing tennis and basketball as well as saxophone in his school band.

Kaushik Hariharan (Vocal)

Kaushik is 12 years old. He has been learning Carnatic Vocal Music from Smt Jayanthi Umesh for the past seven years. Smt Jayanthi Umesh has been a source of inspiration and motivation in Kaushik's journey in Carnatic Music. He is also getting support and guidance for his vocal music from Smt Lakshmi Balasubramanya. Kaushik has been an active performer in teams representing his music school in bay area events.

He has won prizes in OSAAT, Nada Nrithya, Kala Aradhana and Papanasam sivan competitions. Kaushik performed his first two hour solo concert at his upanayanam in June-2013

Kaushik is also learning Mridangam under Shri Surya Subramanian. Kaushik is a proficient piano player. Kaushik will be 7th grader at Hyde middle School this fall.

Akshaya Balaji (Vocal)

Akshaya Balaji is a sophomore at Piedmont Hills High School, San Jose. She has been learning carnatic vocal under various teachers for five years and is now under the able guidance of Sri Padhuka Academy. She also has a second-degree black belt in Karate as well as being a violinist in her school's Advanced Orchestra, and she has performed in Disneyland on a couple of occasions. Her hobbies include drawing, reading, writing stories, watching anime, and singing songs in foreign languages. She is particularly interested in the bhava aspect of Carnatic Music.

Ajay Gopi (Mridangam)