LOTUS May 2011 monthly concert

DATE: SATURDAY, MAY 21ST, 2011

TIME: 2.00 PM TO 5.00 PM

897 Kifer Road, Suite 1, (inside RTS Building Complex)

Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Phone: (408) 481-9242

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

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GURU-SHISHYA SERIES

ANU SURESH - LEAD VOCAL

MANASA SURESH - SUPPORTING VOCALIST

LAKSHMI BALASUBRAMANYA (VIOLIN)

VIGNESH VENKATARAMAN (MRIDANGAM)

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Lead Vocal : Anu Suresh- Shruthi Swara Laya

Anu Suresh was initiated to Carnatic music at the age of four by Shri Srinivasa Iyengar of Neyveli. She then continued her training with Smt. Vasantha in Neyveli. When Anu moved to Chennai, she continued her training with Smt. Padma Sandilyan (Disciple of Shri KV Narayanaswamy) and Smt. Rukmani Ramani (Daughter and disciple of composer Papanasam Sivan).

During her college years, Anu continued her training with Shri Delhi Ramamurthy (Disciple of Shri Mudikondan Venkatramayyar) in New Delhi. She also received training in Hindustani music from Dr. S. Gupta, New Delhi. Later, Anu received training from Smt. Radha Vishwanathan (Daughter and disciple of Smt. M.S. Subbulakshmi) and Shri Krishnamurthy (Disciple of Shri Tiger Varadachari). Currently, Anu receives training from Smt. Padma Sandilyan (Chennai) and Smt. Vasantha Sundaram (Gandharva Vidhyalaya, New Delhi)

Anu has been teaching Carnatic music at Shruthi Swara Laya in Fremont (formerly known as Bharathi Kalalaya) for the past 20 years. She and her students have performed at various venues in the Bay Area. Her students have also participated in Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival and Chicago Thyagaraja Utsavam. Anu’s students have also accompanied her on musical road trips for the past 5 years and have participated in school conducted programs like Abhinandanam, Pratiti, and Shri Krishna Leela at different Bay Area venues. Anu has also arranged and conducted several workshops at Shruthi Swara Laya in Indian Music and Dance over the past 20 years.

Anu Suresh is a Biotechnology Instructor at Mission Valley Regional Occupational Program in Fremont.

Supporting Vocalist: Manasa Suresh

Manasa Suresh was initiated into Carnatic music at the age of four under her mother Anu Suresh. Since 2003, Manasa learned under gurus Shri T. V Gopalakrishnan, Shri K.N.

Shashikiran, Smt. Sowmya, and Smt. Kiranavali, and Shri Nagai Sriram. Manasa is currently continuing her advanced training under Padmabhushan Shri P. S. Narayanaswamy.

Manasa gave her first solo performance under the auspices of Nandalala Mission in August 2004 at the age of 12. Since then, she has performed at many venues in the United States and in India. Manasa has also won many prizes at the Cleveland Thyagaraja festival, Chicago Tyagaraja Utsavam, and Papanasam Sivan festival. Additionally, Manasa has performed on local TV and radio stations in the Bay Area, been featured in Thendral magazine, and was interviewed by Worldspace Radio in 2007.

Violin: Lakshmi Balasubramanya

A good Violinist with more than 800 concerts to her credit, Lakshmi has received guidance from Prof. H.V. Krishnamurthy, Vid. S.V.Narayan and Vid. H.K. Venkataram .

A young artiste of very high potential, she has performed and accompanied numerous artists all over the country including Vid. TV Gopalakrishnan, Vid RK Srikanthan, Vid. Seetalakshmi Venkatesan, Vid RA Ramamani and others.

She has received awards and honors including Ananya Pratibhe Award and the Prathibakankshi awards.

Best violinist award from

Ananya Cultural Academy

Malleshwaram Sangeeta Sabha

Gayana Samaja

Nadajyoti Sangeeta Sabha

Karnataka Gana Kala Parishat and many others

She has a rare distinction of obtaining the 1 rank in Junior, Senior and Vidwat Music Exams.

She is also a B-High grade artist of All India Radio.

Mridangam: Vignesh Venkataraman

Vignesh, a senior at Monta Vista High School, is a mridangam artist hailing from Umayalpuram Sri. K. Sivaraman’s school of music. Vignesh was initiated into playing Mridangam by Sri. Anand Iyer, also from the same school. For the past 5 years, Vignesh has been traveling to India every summer undergoing advanced training under the tutelage of Umayalpuram Sri. K. Sivaraman.

Vignesh has accompanied various artists in concerts in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has participated in competitions at the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana and has won several prizes in both categories.

Vignesh is also learning vocal carnatic music from Smt. Meena Kodhandaraman, a disciple of Sri. M.S.Anantharaman, and more recently from the violin maestro Sri. R.K. Shriramkumar.