Upcoming Event on July 17

The upcoming event is scheduled on Sunday, July 17, 2011.
Venue: 7100 Nicollet Ave, Richfield, MN 55423
List of the performers is given below:
2:00 pm to 2:45 pm Sandhya Ramachandran (Carnatic Violin) 3:00 pm to 4:15 pm Vijay Ramanathan (Carnatic Vocal)

Accompaniments provided by Sri Sriram Natrajan on Mridangam and Sri Balaji Chandran on Ghatam

Bios of the performers:
Sandhya Ramachandran is a 13 year old with interests in Indian and Western Classical music. She has been studying Carnatic violin for five years with Sri Mullaivasal Chandramouli, an accomplished violinist in Chennai, India. Sandhya will spend this August in India studying with him. She also has been a student of Carnatic vocal music for the past six years with Smt. Nirmala Rajashekar at the Naadha Rasa Center for Music. She has participated in many community events including the annual Aradhana, the Festival of Nations, and events at The Minneapolis Institute of the Arts and local libraries. She has also won awards in Carnatic music competitions such as the Minnesota Carnatic Star for violin organized by the Carnatica Brothers, and Vibha Taal.

Sandhya has been learning Western Classical violin since she was four years old and is now is studying with Mr. Vali Phillips of the Minnesota Orchestra. She has played Irish and American fiddle and won several awards including the Laura Ingalls Fiddle Competition, the Rochester Fiddle contest, and the Grand Prize at the Minnesota Feis. She attends school at the St. Paul Academy, and will be entering upper school in the fall. She has arranged and played the music for her school's production of The Secret Garden and sings in her school Choir.

She is grateful to Sri Sriram Natarajan and Sri Balaji Chandran for accompanying her and MICMC for the opportunity to perform. Sandhya also thanks her Appa, Amma, and little brother Arjun for helping her with her practice.

Vijay Ramanathan Vijay Ramanathan is a highly accomplished vocalist and composer based in Eden Prairie, MN. He has received extensive training in Carnatic music from his mother, Leela Ramanathan, and has performed in numerous classical and light music concerts. He was a featured performer in the local television program, "Geetmala," in 2010 and 2011. Vijay also composes music for stage, film and television, and operates his own recording center, DigiRaga Studios. Vijay has released a music album, "Namah", a collection of Hindu devotional songs.

Sriram Natarajan on the Mridangam Sriram is a versatile Mridangam artiste and collaborative world musician. Sriram started training on the Mridangam at the age of 9, under the veteran Guru Sri K V Maniappan in Mumbai. Presently under the able guidance of Tanjavur Sri Murugaboopathy, Sriram has had advanced training from Sangeetha Kalanidhi Padma Sri Palghat Raghu. His style of accompaniment is very adaptive to both instrumental and vocal music. Sriram regularly accompanies renowned and upcoming artistes in India during the December music season in Chennai. He travels around the US and has performed at several venues in the cities of Chicago, Madison, Boston, Columbus, Philadelphia and across the state of Minnesota. His world music collaborations include the St Olaf Jazz Band, Northfield MN, Kora Artiste Mamdou Diabate at the Festival of Nations in St Paul MN and the Brass Kings. Sriram is a resident of Apple Valley MN and is the founder of the Layyasaaram school of music.

Balaji Chandran on Ghatam Balaji Chandran started his Carnatic percussion studies in Mridhangam under Sri.Kovai Mani and Sri. Kadayanallur Narayana Iyer. He is a disciple of Sri.Ghatam V.Suresh from whom he learns Ghatam for the past 5 years. He brings with him an energetic style of playing the Ghatam bestowed upon him by his guru. He has provided his percussive support to many artists in America and in India. He considers himself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to lend support to stalwarts like Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri.R.K Srikantan, Prof. Ramakanth, Isai Peroli Sri. Neyveli Santhanagopalan and stars of current generation like Smt. Nirmala Rajasekar, Smt. Sikkil Mala Chandrashekar, Sri Suryaprakash, Sri. Mullaivasal Chandramauli, Sri. Mysore Chandan Kumar. He has been part of the Aradhana celebrations in Minnesota, USA for the past 8 years, and has performed in many venues across America. He also features in the first Carnatic Audio album released by an Independent American record label Innova Records called “Song of the Veena”. He was part of an ensemble that won the top honors in the recently conducted carnatic music competition held by “International society of Laya awareness” in Chennai. He has collaborated with St.Olaf Collage Jazz band and “Brass Kings” an American Blue Grass Jazz band. He is also adept in playing the Kanjira and has also lent his support in both Mridhangam and Ghatam for Bharathanatyam Arengetrams.