LOTUS July 2016 concerts

Shreya has been learning Carnatic vocal music for the past 10 years from Guru Smt. Jayashree Dasarathy. She has been performing in group and solo concerts in bay area. In addition, Shreya also learns Bharatanatyam and has completed her arrangetram last year. Shreya will be a freshman in UC Davis this fall pursuing Cognitive Science as her major.

Vignesh Thyagarajan (Violin)

Vignesh Thyagarajan hails from a family of musicians belonging to the lineage of Flute Maestro Brahmasri Saraba Sastrigal. Vignesh started learning Carnatic vocal and violin at a very young age under the guidance of his mother Smt. Rama Thyagarajan as well as Shri. Susheela Narasimhan. He is now currently under the tutelage of his uncle Vidwan Delhi Shri. P. Sunderrajan.

At a young age, Vignesh has become a sought-after violinist in the San Francisco Bay Area, and regularly accompanies local artists as well as visiting artists from India. He has played many solo concerts, and has had the privilege of playing a duet with his guru Delhi Shri. P. Sunderrajan in the year of 2013. Vignesh regularly visits Chennai to perform solos and accompany leading musicians in the December Music Season.

Vignesh had his solo violin arangetram in September of 2014, accompanied by Vidwan Neyveli Shri. R. Narayanan on Mridangam and Vidwan Adambakkam Shri. K. Sankar on Ghatam.

Akshay Venkatesan (Mrudangam)

Akshay Venkatesan, an upcoming sophomore in Evergreen Valley High School, is a student of SPAC and has been learning Mridangam from `Laya Kala Ratna’ Sri Ramesh Srinivasan. Akshay has been regularly providing Mridangam support for Vocalists, Instrumentalists and Bharatanatyam programs in Bay area for the last five years and in many Sabhas in the December music season in Chennai since 2013.

Akshay also learns vocal Carnatic music and is a student of Sri Paduka Academy. He also plays Alto Saxophone in the Symphonic band in his school and plays tennis in School Varsity team.

__________________________________________________

Samhita Kadiyala (Vocal)

Samhita has been learning Carnatic vocal Music from Smt. Jayashree Varadarajan, Founder and Director of Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandir School of Fine Arts since the last twelve years. She has given numerous solo and group concerts conducted by organizations such as LOTUS, Swara Lahari TV, Nandalala Mission and the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana. She has participated in many of her music school’s productions, including Kala Vandana, Parama Prema and performances at the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana.

Samhita is an active member of Chinmaya Mission and has participated in fundraisers for the Mission including Jnana Ganga. She is an active volunteer, fundraiser and donor for Sankara Eye Foundation.

Samhita is a rising Senior at Homestead High school.

Keerthi's Sundaramurthy (Violin)

Keerthi sundaramurthy is an upcoming Junior at UC Berkeley pursuing Psychology and Cognitive Science as her majors. She is a carnatic violinist as well as a carnatic vocalist and has given several performances in various organizations like Lotus, SR Fine Arts, Darbar Fine Arts etc. Keerthi has been learning violin from Sri. Saravanapriyan for over 8 yrs. She is a sought after accompanist and regularly accompanies local and senior artists as well as for dance concerts in and around Bay area and Sacramento.

Keerthi started learning vocal carnatic music when she was 5yrs old and continues learning through skype from Shri Ajay Namboodiri who resides in Chennai. Apart from music, Keerthi likes hiking and playing tennis. She is very passionate about mental health advocacy, and is involved in

several groups and projects on and off campus.

Amit Ranganathan (Mridangam)

Amit Ranganathan is a disciple of Sri. Ravindra Bharathi Sridharan and performed his mrudangam arangetram in 2013 accompanying Isai Peroli Sri. Neyveli Santhanagopalan.

Amit regulalry accompanies musicians and students of various San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento music schools and has played under the auspices of several organizations including SIFA, LOTUS, Nandalala Mission, SR Fine Arts, Swaralahari and Sacramento Aradhana. He also accompanies artists for festival concerts including Rama Navami, Navarthri, Vijayadasami celebrations as well as Thygaraja Aradhanas. He has played for Bharatanatyam Arangetrams and dance programs in the Bay Area as well as in Sacramento.

Amit is a regular performer in the Chennai December season and in Fremont Margazhi Utsavam. He has also performed around the USA in places including Raleigh, Charlotte, Omaha and Los Angeles.

Amit has won the junior, senior, and accompaniment awards at the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana Festival competitions.

In addition to learning mrudangam, Amit has learnt Carnatic vocal music from Smt. Jayashree Varadarajan.

Amit is a sophomore at San Jose State University majoring in Computer Science and continues to support the Carnatic music community all around USA on a regular basis.

Sahiti Kadiyala (Tambura)

Sahiti has been learning Carnatic vocal music from Smt. Jayashree Varadarajan, founder and Director of Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandir School of Fine Arts since the last six years. She has performed in her music school’s productions and at various other events. She will be an 8th grader at Cupertino Middle School, Sunnyvale this fall.