Vidwan. Sri. Ramakrishnan Murthy
Ramakrishnan Murthy, hailed as one of the most talented Karnatik vocalists of his generation, is known for his unswerving loyalty to tradition, wise sense of aesthetics, and sincerity in presentation. His versatility, rich repertoire, and creativity have been much appreciated by the audience and critics alike. Ramakrishnan’s musical journey started in Irvine, California at the age of seven with his mother taking the initiative to enroll him for music lessons. What started off as his mother’s endeavor to retain connections with the Indian culture, resulted in Ramakrishnan discovering his passion and his life’s purpose – Karnatik Music. His first guru was Smt. Padma Kutty. It was her disciplined training and unwavering belief in the importance of the fundamental lessons, along with his mother’s motivation, which made the young Ramakrishnan become gradually interested in music. In 2001, he began to take advanced training from veteran violinist Delhi Shri. P Sunder Rajan, who inspired him to delve deeper into the nuances of Karnatik music. Ramakrishnan has also spent brief periods of time learning from Vairamangalam Lakshminarayanan, CR Vaidyanathan, Vaikom Jayachandran and Chengleput Ranganathan. After his graduation from the University of California, he moved to Chennai, India, in 2011, to pursue Karnatik music more intensely. In Chennai, he began to learn from R. K. Shriramkumar under whose tutelage Ramakrishnan blossomed as a musician and also as a performing artist. Ramakrishnan is an A grade artist in All India Radio and Doordarshan and a regular performer in the music circuit in Chennai and across India. He was awarded the Outstanding Vocalist for four consecutive years from the Madras Music Academy and the Best Senior Vocalist in 2016. Ramakrishnan has also performed widely in several international festivals in North America, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and the Middle East. He has had the rare privilege of having shared the stage with many stalwarts, including his guru-s and other renowned musicians. For Ramakrishnan, Karnatik music is the way he expresses himself. He believes his responsibility as an artiste is to elevate the listeners experience while being true to the art form. Driven by passion, the pursuit of music has given him his life’s purpose. It is this yearning for excellence, that prompts his total immersion to music.
Vid. Smt. Charumathi Raghuraman
Charumathi Raghuraman is a young and vibrant violin virtuoso gifted with a refreshing candour of combining the elements of traditional music from India’s exalted Carnatic tradition, with modern performance. She belongs to a special pedigree of artists who search for the beauty in creating and sharing the art as a live experience.
A precocious talent, she started learning first from her mother Smt. Rama Raghuraman, then continued formalised training with the respected Guru Smt. T.R. Balamani in Mumbai, and soon thereafter, at the suggestion of the iconic violinist of South India, Padma Bhushan Prof. T. N. Krishnan, Charumathi became his ardent disciple in 1995. She has also studied Carnatic vocal music with the renowned teacher Padma Bhushan Sri. P. S. Narayanaswami. She played her debut concert along side Prof. T. N. Krishnan in 1998 and since then has been performing regularly both as a soloist and accompanist. The salient features of her musicianship include the rare combination of a pure sound and erudite content. She not only excels in the instrumental technique of the violin but is equally adept in reproducing vocal nuances mellifluously. She has been awarded the CCR&T, Govt. of India scholarship from the age of ten. She is the recipient of many awards; some of the notable ones include the ‘Kalki Krishnamurthy Memorial Award’ for the year 2016, ‘Ramabhadran Centenary Award’ for the Most Promising Young Musician of the Year 2013 from Tag Corporation, India; ’Young Achiever award’ from Rotary Club; ‘Best Violinist’ awards for the years 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2006, and the ‘Outstanding Young Violinist’ award in 2007-08 from The Music Academy (Madras); and ‘Best Violinist’ awards from various institutions like Narada Gana Sabha, Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Indian Fine Arts Society etc. She is an ‘A grade' artist of the All India Radio and Doordarshan. Charu has traveled widely across India and abroad to perform in prestigious music festivals and institutions over the last 18 years. In 2011, Charu was invited to participate in The Woodford Folk Festival, an annual music festival held in Brisbane, Australia. A year later, Charu was part of a cultural delegation organized by ICCR (New Delhi) to tour Brazil. She also participated in a collaborative concert with the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra, USA. In May 2016, Charu was invited to perform a solo concert at The Bhavan, London, as part of their Mandolin Shrinivas Memorial Concert Series. She has traveled widely for other performances in USA, UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East, Singapore etc.
Academically, she holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Xavier Institute.
Vid. Sri. N.C. Bharadwaj
Sri N.C. Bharadwaj's musical journey has been marked by the guidance of distinguished mentors, including the late Srivancheyam Shri S Gopalan and Shri Nanganallur R Shriram, who provided his initial coaching. However, it was under the tutelage of the illustrious Mridangam virtuoso, Padma Vibhushan awardee, and Kalaimamani recipient, DR. UMAYALPURAM K SIVARAMAN, that he underwent intensive training that molded his musical prowess. Sri N.C. Bharadwaj's dedication and talent led him to achieve significant titles and awards, such as the esteemed "A Grade" Artiste recognition by All India Radio, Chennai. Notably, he received the "Kalki Krishnamurthy Memorial Award" from the Kalki Krishnamurthy Trust in 2017, the revered "Laya Vadya Praveena" Title from Kalalaya, USA, and the prestigious "Sangeetha Mudhra" Title from Mudhra, Chennai in 2015. His commitment to the art form earned him the "Yuva Kala Bharathi" Title from Bharat Kalachar, Chennai, and the esteemed "Laya Bhaskara" Title from Gnanaskandan Trust, Chennai. Eminent personalities including Pandit Zakir Hussain, Shri T K Govinda Rao, Shri P S Narayanaswamy, Haridwaramangalam Shri A K Palanivel, and Shri O S Thiyagarajan have all praised his talents. Sri N.C. Bharadwaj's musical endeavors have transcended borders, captivating audiences worldwide in performances across countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Malaysia, Penang, Bali, USA, and Canada. His artistry has been showcased alongside distinguished artists like Dr N Ramani, Shri TV Sankaranarayanan, Smt. Sudha Raghunathan, Dr. S Sowmya, Bombay Smt Jayashree, Kum. A Kanyakumari, among others, solidifying his position as a prominent figure in the world of music.
