LOTUS Oct 2012 Monthly Concert

ANAND LAKSHMINARAYAN

Anand Lakshminarayan is a senior student of the Sri Paduka Academy of Indian Classical Music. He has performed in several Bay Area music programs over the past decade and completed his Carnatic Vocal music arangetram in June 2011. He received the blessings of Sri Jayendra Saraswathy Swamigal of Kanchipuram when he sang before His Holiness in Dec 2011 and has continued to perform whenever he gets an opportunity to do so. Anand is a sophomore at UC Berkeley.

SHRI. MAHESH BALAJI (VIOLIN)

Mahesh had his initial training on the violin from Sangeeta Bhushanam Shri. V. Janakiraman (a revered teacher and an AIR artist) in Delhi at the age of 7. After a long hiatus, he started violin lessons under Smt. Shanti Narayanan and also started vocal music training under Shri. P.V. Natarajan after moving to the bay area in 1997. In 2005, he had the great fortune of becoming a disciple of Kalaimamani A. Kanyakumari and has continued advance training under her able guidance. He seeks the blessing of his gurus in continuing his passion for learning Carnatic music.

GOPI LAKSHMINARAYANAN (MRUDANGAM)

Gopi Lakshminarayanan is a disciple of late Sri Kumbakonam Narayana Swamy Iyer, brother of late Sri Rajappa Iyer, prime disciples of Kumbakonam Azhaganambi Pillai and Sakkotai Rangu Iyengar. Gopi had his arangetram at the age of 14 and he has accompanied artists such as Calcutta Kannan, Madurai Somu, Thiruvallur Parthasarathy etc. Gopi has also taken advanced training from Kalidakurichi Sivakumar, disciple of Sangeetha Kalanidhi PadmaSri. Palghat Raghu.

Subiksha Raman

Smt. Subiksha Raman had her musical training under Smt. Lalitha Sivakumar for the past 10 years and her music reflects the D.K. Pattammal bani with clear diction and perfect sruthi alignment. Subiksha has won various awards and prizes including the best vocalist award from Sri Parthasarathy swami sabha. She is also a recipient of the Bharat Kalachar scholarship and is a graded artist of the All India Radio. Subiksha has been performing widely all over india as well as abroad. A chemical engineer by profession, Subiksha is currently pursuing music as her full time career. SaReGaMa has recently released an audio CD titled Thulasidala in Dec-2011 with 6 songs by Subiksha.

Sahana Vasudevan (Violin)

Sahana Vasudevan, disciple of Padma Bhushan Sri. P. S. Narayanaswamy,was initiated into carnatic music at the age of five. Her Gurus are Smt. Kiranavali Vidyasankar(2002-2003), Sri. P. S. Narayanaswamy(2003-present) and Dr. B. Balasubrahmaniyan,Wesleyan University,CT (2007-2010). Sahana has won many prizes in music competitions, the noteworthy among them are: Cleveland Aradhana concert competition in 2007 & 2010 (1st prize),Madras Music Academy Vocal for Ladies competition in 2008(2nd prize), Madras Music Academy Padams and Javalis competition in 2009 (1st prize),Cleveland Aradhana Advanced Pallavi competition 2010 &2011. (2nd & 3rd prize) She was awarded the title 'Gayika Yuva Bharati' by Sringeri Sharada Peetam, PA in 2010. Sahana has learnt western classical violin for about 6 six years. Sahana plays carnatic violin by herself with guidance from her vocal teachers. She has won prizes in violin accompaniment competitions in Cleveland Aradhana, for which she had to accompany professional musicians on the spot. She has accompanied many artists in the SFO bay area and in India. Her other interests include mathematics,chess,origami and books.

Ravindrabharathy Sridharan (mrdangam)

Ravi hails from the well-known ‘Embar’ family known for its involvement in music and spirituality, and credits his parents for instilling in him the passion for playing the mrdangam. He had his mrdangam initiation under Shri M.A.Krishnamurthy in Mysore in 1980. He continues to further his knowledge under Vidwan Neyveli Narayanan, a prime disciple of both Shri Late Thanjavur Upendran and Shri Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman. Ravi directs a percussion school called Nadhopasana Academy of Fine Arts, where he enjoys teaching this great art to select students. Ravi continues to accompany various leading musicians from India as well as Bay Area for dance programs and regular concerts.