SMC Monthly concert September 2019

Dear Music Rasikas,

SMC would like to invite you with family and friends to our Monthly Concert - to be held on 28 September 2019 at the Dundas Community Centre, 21 Sturt Street, Telopea.

04:00 PM - 05:00 PM: Vocal concert by Smt. Athira Narendran accompanied by Sri. Balaji Jagannadhan on Violin and Sri. Nirmal Ayyar on Mridungam

05:10 PM - 07:10 PM:  Vocal concert by Smt. Lakshmi Kumaraguruparan accompanied by Sri. Mohan Ayyar on Synthesiser and Sri. Pallavarajan Nagendran on Mrudangam.

Artiste Profiles:

Sri. Mohan Ayyar

For over 25 years, Mohan has been giving concerts on the synthesizer, an instrument he has adapted to suit Carnatic music. While self-taught on the synthesizer, he had vocal training under Smt Uma Ayyar, Smt Prema Anandakrishnan and Smt Hemalatha Ganesan. Mohan has given many solo concerts and has also accompanied many local and international artistes in performances all over Australia and in Chennai. Mohan has composed music for several bharatanatyam programs and has partially completed a PhD in Indian music from Macquarie University - analysing the composition process for bharatanatyam music. He has presented papers on music at conferences in Amsterdam, Mumbai and Kolkata. Mohan teaches keyboard to a number of students and continues to maintain the popular music web page www.carnaticcorner.com

Smt. Athira Narendran

Started carnatic vocal training under Sri Kottarakkara Shivakumar Krishnapillai , a senior disciple of Sri O.S Tyagarajan.Currently learning from Smt Uma Ayyar . 

Smt. Lakshmi Kumaraguruparan

Lakshmi Kumaraguruparan is a disciple of Dr. Manjula Sriram, a retired Professor from the Teacher's College of Music, Music Academy, Chennai. She had her initial training from Smt. Padmavathy Anantagopalan, who built a strong foundation and interest in Carnatic Music for Lakshmi. She has also had the opportunity to hone her skills from Kalaimamani Srimushnam V Rajarao and Smt. Padma Chandilyan. Lakshmi was brought up in a family that treated Music as God. She was exposed to Carnatic Music when she was three, by her grandmother who was one of the granddaughters of Sri Ambi Dikshitar. Thus, Lakshmi being a seventh generation descendent of the Sri Muthuswamy Dikshitar, had a very supportive environment to develop her interest. Her guru Dr. Manjula Sriram has encouraged and taught her many rare varna and krithis of various composers. Her reportoire includes the entire Kamalamba Navavarna krithis, Navagraha Krithis, several Utsava Sampradaya keerthana etc. She has performed several thematic concerts in the past and is passionately pursuing her interest to increase her reportoire. Lakshmi is a graded artist in the All India Radio Chennai and has performed several programs and music related chat shows on the radio as a child artist. Encouraged by Sri. Srimushnam V Rajarao, she has also had the chance to perform in Jaya TV's Margazhi Maha Utsavam in 2008 and many other TV shows and concerts. Lakshmi has taken part in several competitions conducted in various Sabhas and has won many prizes to her credit. She has won the prized Tambura Awards from Indian Fine Arts Society Chennai, Tamil Isai Sangam and Raja Annamalaipuram Bhakta Jana Sabha.

Sri. Balaji Jagannadhan

Balaji Jagannadhan learnt vocal and instrumental Carnatic music from Bangalore Smt R. Thangammal, herself a disciple of Vidwan Sri R R Keshavamurthy. Balaji hails from the steel city of Jamshedpur, India, and is a frequent performer at Carnatic forums in Sydney and Brisbane. He is a enthusiast of both schools of music Carnatic and Hindustani. He has also contributed to the musical choreography for a few classical dance recitals.

Sri. Nirmal Ayyar

Nirmal Ayyar has been learning the mrudangam since the age of twelve under the initial tutelage of Sri Suthanthiraraj, before progressing his skills under the guidance of Sri Bala Sankar. He is currently learning under the guidance of Sri Melakkaveri Balaji. Nirmal learnt vocal music from Smt Prema Anandakrishnan and Smt Uma Ayyar. He continues his advanced training from Dr Ramanathan. Nirmal has had the privilege of providing accompaniment in a number of student concerts in Sydney over the past few years and continues to be actively involved in the Carnatic community.

Sri. Pallavarajan Nagendran

Pallavarajan Nagendran began his training in Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society under Karaikudi Krishnamoorthy and went to learn under Chennai K Deenadayalan and Thiruvarur Vaidhyanathan. He is currently learning from T R Sundaresan, founder of Sannidhi Academy, a non profit organisation based in Chennai.