LOTUS April 2013 monthly concert

DATE: SATURDAY, APRIL 20TH, 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.

Concert #1 - Junior

Dhruv and Nikhil Suri (Sitar Duet)

Ram Kaundinya (Tabla)

Concert #2 - Junior

Jyotsna Natarajan (Vocal)

Vignesh Thyagarajan (Violin)

Amit Ranganathan (Mrdangam)

Concert #3 - Junior

Anaha Raghunathan (Vocal)

Vignesh Thyagarajan (Violin)

Sanjay Chandrasekhar (Mrdangam)

1.15 - 2:00

2:15 - 3:00

3:15 - 4:00

1. Sitar Duet : Dhruv & Nikhil Suri

Dhruv Suri: Dhruv is a high school junior in Moraga, CA. He is originally from New York. He has been learning the sitar for five years in the tradition of the Maihar Gharana of Baba Allauddin Khan, under the tutelage of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan's and Pandit Ravi Shankar's accomplished students, Daisy Paradis in New York and Joanna Mack in California. He has given a variety of performances in the New York city and San Francisco Bay areas. Dhruv is a skilled musician who also plays the Euphonium in school and for the Diablo Wind Symphony in the Bay area.

Nikhil Suri: Nikhil is a high school freshman in Moraga, CA. He is originally from New York. He has been learning the sitar for five years in the tradition of the Maihar Gharana of Baba Allauddin Khan, under the tutelage of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan's and Pandit Ravi Shankar's accomplished students, Daisy Paradis in New York and Joanna Mack in California. He has given a variety of performances in the New York city and San Francisco Bay areas. Nikhil is a skilled musician who also plays the French Horn in school and for the Diablo Wind Symphony in the Bay area.

Ram Kaundinya (tabla)

Ram Kaundinya is a student of Pandit Swapan Choudhary at the Ali Akbar college of music. Ram was initiated into tabla by the great Maestro Ali Akbar Khan at the age of 5. He studied with senior students of Pandit Swapan Chaudhary and has been leraning from Panditji for 9 years now. He is a regular performer at the Ali Akbar college of music and San Francisco World Music festival. Ram is a High school sophomore.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Jyotsna Natarajan (Vocal)

Jyotsna has been learning Carnatic vocal music since the age of 5 and is currently under the tutelage of Smt. Jayashree Varadarajan, founder/director of Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandir. From a very young age, Jyotsna has shown a keen interest in Carnatic music and has demonstrated the innate ability to play various Carnatic music compositions on the piano and flute by herself. In addition to the regular classes, Jyotsna has also been fortunate to attend some advanced workshops conducted by her music school. These opportunities have furthered her interest in this art form and have culminated in her first solo performance. Jyotsna has also been learning Indian folk dance from Smt. Srividya Eashwar, Artistic Director of Xpressions for the last 6 years. As part of her dance group, she has participated in many competitions in the Bay Area and won several awards. The highlight has been her performance at the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival in June 2010. Jyotsna has also played the western flute as part of her school band for 6 years. Jyotsna is a sophomore in Monta Vista High School and has been representing her school’s volleyball team since middle school. She has been attending Bala Vihar classes conducted by Chinmaya Mission and is currently a teacher helper as well.

Vignesh Thyagarajan (Violin)

Vignesh Thyagarajan started learning Carnatic vocal and violin at the age of 5 years with his mother Smt. Rama Thyagarajan. Vignesh is currently under the tutelage of his uncle Vidwan Shri.Delhi P.Sunderrajan. Vignesh regularly accompanies the bay area music schools and Carnatic Chamber Concerts. Vignesh has given solo performances under the banner of SVLOTUS, Nandalala Mission, Carnatic Chamber Concerts (CCC) , Dheemtana, Swaralahari Local community TV channel and December Music festival 2011. Vignesh has accompanied leading upcoming artists in Chennai Margazhi music festival 2012-2013. Vignesh learns western violin through private lessons and he was in the Intermediate String Orchestra at California Youth Symphony (CYS). Vignesh is a Junior in Cupertino High School CA.

Amit Ranganathan (Mrdangam)

Amit Ranganathan has been learning mridangam under the tutelage of Guru Sri Ravindra Bharathy Sridharan, Artistic Director of Nadhopasana Academy of Fine Arts for the past six years. In addition to being an active performer in his Guru’s school’s programs, Amit has started accompanying students from other music schools in the junior concert segment. He also enjoys accompanying his sisters for home videos, community and Temple events.

Amit has won prizes in the junior and senior level mridangam competitions at Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana Festival and Papanasam Sivan Fine arts. He is part of the ‘Laya Vinyasam’ team put together by Sri Ravindra Bharathy, which has performed at Vivriti music festival and OSAAT, receiving excellent reviews. Amit has also learnt carnatic vocal music for nine years under the tutelage of Smt. Jayashree Varadarajan.

Amit's other interest includes basketball. He is a sophomore at Cupertino High School.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Anaha Raghunathan (Vocal)

Anaha Raghunathan has been learning Carnatic music for the past 9 years and is currently under the tutelage of Sri Kolkatta k. Vijayaraghavan of Chennai who is the disciple of Sri T.N.Seshagopalan. Anaha has performed extensively in the Bay Area and gives solo concerts.She was won multiple prizes in Chicago tyagaraja, Cleveland aradhana and OSAAT competitions.Anaha is a black belt in tae Kwan do and is an avid participant in her school's DECA and speech clubs. Anaha is a freshman in Mission San Jose high school in Fremont.

Vignesh Thyagarajan (Violin)

Vignesh Thyagarajan started learning Carnatic vocal and violin at the age of 5 years with his mother Smt. Rama Thyagarajan. Vignesh is currently under the tutelage of his uncle Vidwan Shri.Delhi P.Sunderrajan. Vignesh regularly accompanies the bay area music schools and Carnatic Chamber Concerts. Vignesh has given solo performances under the banner of SVLOTUS, Nandalala Mission, Carnatic Chamber Concerts (CCC) , Dheemtana,Swaralahari Local community TV channel and December Music festival 2011. Vignesh has accompanied leading upcoming artists in Chennai Margazhi music festival 2012-2013. Vignesh learns western violin through private lessons and he was in the Intermediate String Orchestra at California Youth Symphony (CYS). Vignesh is a Junior in Cupertino High School CA.

Sanjay Chandrasekhar (Mrdangam)

Sanjay had his initial training on Mridangam from Shri. Ramesh Srinivasan, Artistic Director of Sarvalaghu percussion school in San Jose, for seven years. He had his Mridangam Arangetram during Sep 2010, been blessed to accompany Isai PeroLi Shri. Neyveli Santhanagopalan as part of this event. Since his Arangetram, Sanjay has been providing Mridangam accompaniment for various events in the bay area. He is now undergoing advanced training in Guruvayur Dorai School of music under the tutelage of Shri. Uzhavoor Babu, prime disciple of Shri. Guruvayur Dorai. Sanjay also learns vocal Carnatic music from Shri. Shreyas Narayanun, disciple of Padma Bhushan Shri. P. S. Narayanaswamy. Sanjay is an honor roll senior student at Mission San Jose High. His other hobbies include Robotics and Mission Energy.