Mysore M. Nagaraj and Mysore M. Manjunath are the sons and disciples of the well-known violinist Sri S. Mahadevappa of Mysore. Both Nagaraj and Manjunath were child prodigies who matured quickly to become superb violinists. While Nagaraj gave his first concert at the age of eleven, Manjunath did it at age nine. Beginning at the age of fourteen, Nagaraj won the coveted Best Violinist award from Madras Academy six times and became the youngest "A" Grade artist of AIR.  In 1986 he was conferred the title of "Sangeetha Ratna."  Manjunath breezed through the trail traced by his elder brother, winning the Best Violinist awards, "A" grade artist status, three gold medals and first rank in Master of Music degree, besides winning other laurels. Recently, Manjunath received his Ph.D. from Mysore University for his work on "Styles of Violin Playing". Both Nagaraj and Manjunath have earned great admiration from audiences and critics abroad. Nagaraj has given performances in USA, Canada, and Europe.

Thiruvarur M. Bhaktavatsalam is a top ranking mridangam artiste in the Carnatic music arena. His playing is marked by melodic dexterity and deft and graceful strokes. He first learned his art from Shri Tiruvarur Krishnamurthy and was guided in the field by doyens like MLV and Maharajapuram Santanam, whom he had accompanied quite regularly. Today Shri Bhaktavatsalam has become one of the most popular mridangam artistes of this generation and is a particular favorite among musicians like T. V. Sankaranarayan, M.S.Gopalakrishnan, and T. N. Krishnan among others. Shri Bhaktavatsalam has received many awards and titles, including the Kalaimamani award from the Tamil Nadu government.

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).