About the Artists:
Kiranavali Vidyasankar, a highly
gifted young Carnatic vocalist, comes from a lineage of well-respected
musicians led by her legendary grandfather, Gotuvadyam Narayana Iyengar
and was hailed as a child prodigy by the age of two. Over the years,
Kiranavali trained intensely both under her father, N. Narasimhan, and
her brother, Chitravina Ravikiran. She has been making public
appearances as a vocalist since the age of five, initially in tandem
with her brother, K. N. Shashikiran, and later as a soloist. Under the
guidance of the late T. Brinda, the highest authority on the works of
many a great composer, Kiranavali has matured into a sensitive musician
with a deep commitment to highly refined musical values.
Kiranavali also plays the Chitravina, true to her family tradition. She
has presented several solo concerts, and has teamed up with Ravikiran
as well. She is the first artiste to be graded in both vocal and the
Chitravina by the national radio and television networks of
India. Kiranavali’s music reflects a unique blend of strong
traditional values and an analytical approach. She has been featured by
many leading organizations in India and the US, such as The Music
Academy, Krishna Gana Sabha, India International Centre (New Delhi),
National Centre for the Performing Arts (Mumbai), Narada Gana Sabha and
Indian Fine Arts Society, among others. Kiranavali was the lead female
vocalist in the operatic ballet Lakshmi Prabhavam, which premiered in
Cleveland, Ohio, in 1997, and was eventually presented in more than 20
major cities. She has also lent her voice for several recordings and
music-based serials. Kiranavali has already amassed a teaching
experience of over 15 years, and is highly sought after for her quality
and value-based training. In addition to having trained many students
privately in India and the US, she has served as an advanced-level
teacher at well-known institutions like Shanmukhananda Fine Arts
(Mumbai, India) and the Centre for World Music (San Diego, USA). As a
resident of the US now, she maintains a hectic teaching schedule
besides her performing schedule. Kiranavali is also involved in writing
about music. Under her editorship, www.carnatica.com emerged as one of
the top-notch websites in Carnatic music, and won the Britannica Award
for Excellence in 2000. In 2002, she edited the book Ragas at a Glance,
authored by the scholar-musician, S R Janakiraman. She has also written
articles for several newspapers, websites and magazines over the years,
and is now a regular contributor to The Hindu, one of the leading
dailies in India. Kiranavali holds a degree in commerce but
Carnatic music remains her passion and her chosen career.
Vinod Seetharaman
began learning mridangam at the age of seven from Shri.
Ardhanareeswaran and, later, received his advanced training under
Bangalore Shri. Arjun Kumar and Sangeeta Kalanidhi Umayalpuram
Sivaraman. He has performed at several venues in India, USA and Canada
and has accompanied many leading artists including T.N. Seshagopalan,
N. Ramani, Chitravina N. Ravikiran, Sudha Raghunathan, Sanjay
Subramanian, T. M. Krishna, Kiranavali and others. Vinod is a graded
All India Radio (AIR) artiste with many radio concerts to his credit
and has also performed on national television in India. He has a
master's degree in Industrial technology and is currently pursuing a
career in automotive engineering at Ford Motor Company.
Jayshankar Balan
received his initial training from Alamelu Subramanian and is currently
under the guidance of Madurai Sundar. He has performed extensively all
over the world and has accompanied many leading stalwarts in the
Carnatic arena including Dr. N Ramani, Nedunuri Krishnamoorthy, Dr. K.
J. Yesudas and T. N. Seshagopalan. In 1999, Jayshankar was invited to
perform at the United Nations in Paris for the last UN Meeting of the
century. He has also represented India in major cultural festivals
including the Festivals of India in Russia and the Middle East. He is a
graded artist of AIR (All India Radio). He holds a Masters in Computer
Science and a MBA in Finance.
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