The musician
who rediscovered the Mandolin,
Sri U. Shrinivas,
with
Sri U. Rajesh (Mandolin),
Sri Muruga Boopathy
(Mridangam), and
Sri S. V. Ramani (Ghatam)
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About the Artists:
U. Shrinivas or Mandolin
Shrinivas, as he has come to be known, is a musical phenomenon to
whom
perfection of tone and execution come spontaneously.
A child prodigy, Shrinivas has revived and
raised the mandolin, a little recognized instrument, to respectable
status in
classical music. His fingers caress and cajole remarkable responses
from this
western instrument. He glides over the gamut with ease traversing 4
octaves
with subtle deflections and suave certainty.
Every phrase, every design falls into place in the
octaval build-up of
the raga. He can evolve and execute the most intricate fraction-ridden swara (note) combinations and keep any
accompanist on edge. Shrinivas has ‘wowed’ audiences all over the world
since
the age of twelve. It is also striking to note that he has none of the
trappings of a star about him. Shy, silent, and reticent, he is rarely
in the
public eye, except on the podium. The list of awards conferred on him
is
endless. He is already one of the all-time greats and is easily the
most sought
after artist in India
today. In 1998 he was awarded the
prestigious national title of “Padmashri”
from the President of India.
Mandolin U. Rajesh is the
brother of
Mandolin Maestro Shri U.Shrinivas. Tutored under the guidance of his
father, Shri
U.Satyanarayana, and brother, Shrinivas, Rajesh gave his first concert
at the
age of six. Since then, he has been
performing extensively both solo, and along with his brother, in India
and in
major cities around the world. He has also performed alongside
great
artists like Ustad Zakir Hussain and Vikku Vinayakaram and has been
part of U
Shrinivas India
music ensemble from 1987.
Muruga Boopathy, a renowned Mridangam
player, hails from a family of musicians and artists. He was awarded
Vadhya
Visharada with distinction in Music college. He has accompanied
many
leading Indian artists and has performed with Mandolin Shrinivas Music
ensemble
since 1992. Muruga Boopathy has also performed extensively in countries
like Singapore, Malaysia,
South Africa,
Germany,
Spain,
Australia,
Dubai,
Muscat and Scotland.
S.
V. Ramani is
a well-known
Ghatam (clay pot percussion) artist who gave his debut performance when
he was
only eight years old. He received his early training under Guruvayur
Dorai. Ramani has accompanied leading
Carnatic Musicians for the past 28 years and has been a member of
Mandolin
Shrinivas ensemble since 1999.
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Directions and parking:
The
OEC Auditorium
is located in the campus of the University of Saint Thomas in Saint
Paul on Cleveland Ave, in the block between Ashland and Portland
Avenues. Parking lot H, located at the intersection of Cretin and
Summit Avenues is the best bet for free weekend parking.
Map
of the Saint Paul Campus of the University of Saint Thomas.
The OEC Auditorium
is
Building 4 in the campus map. Please use parking lot H only, for free
weekend parking.
Acknowledgments:
This activity is
made possible in part by,
the Series Presenter Support Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board
through
an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature and a grant from
the
National Endowment for the Arts, the Honeywell “Dollars for Doers”
Grant and the Medtronic Arts Access Program Grant. This concert is
co-sponsored
by KFAI “Fresh-Air” Radio (90.3FM Minneapolis/106.7 FM St. Paul).

For further information contact:
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