Sutikshna Veeravalli Vocal + One Hundred Strings, an instrumental classical Indian music - Doubleheader

Sruti proudly presents: A Doubleheader Program of Carnatic vocal music by Sutikshna Veeravalli followed by Jugalbandi: 100 Strings, a classical Indian instrumental music concert featuring artists Nirmala Rajasekar (Veena), Thanjavur Murugaboopathi (Mridangam), Sandip Chatterjee (Santoor), and Ramdas Palsule (Tabla)

Vocal concert by Sutikshna Veeravalli: a Carnatic Vocalist and Bharatanatyam dancer based in Boston, she is a vocal disciple of Kalaimamani Dr. R. Suryaprakash and dance disciple of Guru and mother Vanitha Veeravalli. Having begun training at age 4, she has now been pursuing both performing arts for 25 years. Her commitment to these arts brings her annually to perform in Chennai as well as across North America. Most notably, she has participated in the Madras Music Academy's Spirit of Youth and HCL Series. Her achievements have earned her accolades from organizations including Bharat Kalachar and the Brahma Gana Sabha. She
has also composed music for Bharatanatyam. Outside music and dance, Sutikshna works full-time as a high school educator of students
with learning disabilities. Her goal is to integrate arts with education, in various forms, in order to build more holistic and accessible communities.

Jugalbandi: 100 Strings

Nirmala Rajasekar is one of the premier Saraswathi veena players in the world today. A dynamic and vibrant musician, she performs in the leading venues in India and around the world, including Sawai Gandharva Mahotsav (Pune), the Music Academy (Chennai), Carnegie Hall (New York), United Nations (New York) and the Rumi International Festival (Turkey). An established vocalist and well-known composer, Nirmala is seen internationally as a "Carnatic Ambassador" and leader in forging new paths on the Saraswati Veena. She is a recipient of the
Kalaimamani Award from the Government of Tamil Nadu, the highest honor in the arts. Nirmala is the 2023 A.P. Anderson Awardee from the Anderson Center for her outstanding contributions to the cultural life and legacy of the State of Minnesota.

Ramdas Palsule: a disciple of eminent tabla player Suresh Talwalkar, Ramdas Palsule is a versatile soloist and accompanist. He has traveled widely all over India and abroad and has accompanied many noted vocalists, instrumentalists and dancers.

Sandip Chatterjee: a disciple of Pandit Tarun Bhattacharya and vocal maestro Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, he is an accomplished santoor player of our time. He has been heralded as the torch bearer of two Gharanas at the same time – MAIHAR and PATIALA.
With his magical strokes over strings, he makes his unique melody speak. A deep rooted explorer, he has developed a dynamic approach to playing with one hand, where he uses his left hand to lift the strings (Plucking Chikari) to play the Alap, Jod Jhalla, part of bandish( Gat) by creating an ineffable resonance.

Vidwan Thanjavur K. Murugaboopathi is one of the leading mridangam players of today. His technique and creative ability in accompaniment, solo renditions, and jugalbandhi collaborations with his North Indian brethren have earned him critical acclaim around the world. Hailing from a family of musicians and artists, Sri Murugaboopathi had his initial training from Vidwan Sri T R Srinivasan. He later trained in the rare gurukula tradition (of living with one’s guru) for more than ten years with the Mridagnam maestro Sri Tanjore Upendran.