SMC Monthly concert August 2023
Dear Music Rasikas,
SMC would like to invite you with family and friends to our Monthly Concert to be held on Saturday 26th August 2023 at the Dundas Community Centre, 21 Sturt Street, Telopea. Please note concert will be held in the downstairs meeting room at the centre.
4.45 pm to 5.45 pm: Vocal concert by Chi. Skanda Jagadeesh, accompanied by Chi. Abhinav Harishankar on the Violin and Chi. Sumukha Jagadeesh on the Mrudangam
6 pm to 8pm: Vocal concert by Sri. Krishna Ramarathinam accompanied by Smt. Mahathi Balajee on the Violin, Chi. Sumukha Jagadeesh on the Mrudangam and Chi. Branavan Jeyarasa on the Kanjira.
Artiste Profiles:
Sri. Krishna Ramarathinam
Krishna Ramarathinam is the grandson of the reputed Sangeetha Vidwan late Kalaisikhamani Sri Sathur AG Subramaniam. He began his musical tutelage at the age of 5 under Dr MS Ramanathan (disciple of Shri Palghat KV Narayanaswamy) and has been pursuing this passion for the last 26 years. Krishna continued his advanced tutelage under Sangeetha Kala Acharya Shri V.Subramaniam (disciple of the doyen Sangeetha Kalanidhi Shri Semmangudi Sreenivasa Iyer) and is presently undergoing further tutelage with Sangeetha Vidwan Shri AS Murali (disciple of Vidwan Shri PS Narayanaswamy) and Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr M.Chandrasekharan. He undergoes special training with Mridangam Vidwan Shri Melakaveri K Balaji on laya aesthetics and pallavis. Krishna has also been mentored and guided by his aunts Sathur Sisters.
A regular seasoned performer, Krishna has performed across the major sabhas in India including Music Academy Chennai, NaradaGana Sabha, Krishna Gana Sabha, Chembur Fine Arts (Mumbai) and Ananya (Bangalore). Krishna is also a graded artiste of All India Radio Chennai and has had the privilege of providing vocal accompaniment with his gurus on several occasions.
Krishna is a passionate promoter of Carnatic music worldwide and is the founder of Yuva Sangeetha Margam (YSM), an initiative that promotes the talent of Carnatic music students in Australia. YSM also provides a forum for students to interact and educate themselves on the art of Carnatic music.
Chi. Abhinav Harishankar
Abhinav Harishankar is a year 11 student of Girraween High School. He began his Carnatic vocal music lessons with Sydney based Mridangam and Vocal Guru Sri Raman Easwaran and currently is under the guidance of Sri Chitravina P Ganesh and Sri K S Vishnudev. Abhinav is also a Carnatic violin student and performer having learnt initially from Sydney based Vid. Sri Kranthikiran Mudigonda and now continuing his advanced violin lessons under Guru Sri Pappu Gyandev. Abhinav has given several vocal and violin performances in Sydney for Yuva Sangeetha Margam, Ragapriya Sydney, other
Abhinav Harishankar is a year 11 student of Girraween High School. He began his Carnatic vocal music lessons with Sydney based Mridangam and Vocal Guru Sri Raman Easwaran and currently is under the guidance of Sri Chitravina P Ganesh and Sri K S Vishnudev. Abhinav is also a Carnatic violin student and performer having learnt initially from Sydney based Vid. Sri Kranthikiran Mudigonda and now continuing his advanced violin lessons under Guru Sri Pappu Gyandev. Abhinav has given several vocal and violin performances in Sydney for Yuva Sangeetha Margam, Ragapriya, worldwide Facebook and other online sabhas and also in Chennai in several sabhas.
Abhinav is a finalist for Gayathri Fine Arts Thithhikkum TamizhIsai competition 2022 and finalist for Guruguhaamrta Muthuswamy Dikshitar Kruthis competition for three years in a row.
Abhinav also learns Mridangam with Sydney based Vid Sri Raman Easwaran.
Smt. Mahathi Balajee
Mahathi was introduced to Carnatic music by her grandmother Vidushi Padma Veeraraghavan. She then continued to learn from Smt. Yamini Ramesh and later from Sri. O.S. Thiagarajan. She currently learns vocal music from Vidushi Seetha Narayanan and Smt. Yamini Ramesh and violin from Sri H.N. Bhaskar. She also learnt western classical violin and piano for several years. Mahathi was a regular performer in various cultural and musical shows in Wellington (New Zealand) and now regularly performs in Sydney. She is also actively involved in Yuva Sangeetha Margam - an initiative to promote Carnatic music among students and rasikas in Sydney. She completed a Certificate in Carnatic music (organised by the Madras University) upon completion of four grades of New Zealand Carnatic Music exams with distinction, and has won first place for vocal performance in a Carnatic music competition conducted in New Zealand.
Chi. Sumukha Jagadeesh
Sumukha's early rhythmic childhood at the age of 4 and half had an inspiring upshot on Sri Arun of Bangalore and he initiated Sumukha into the world of Carnatic percussion. Then, Sumukha continued his training under the tutelage of Sri Suthanthiraraj for the next 10 years. He had the opportunity to play Mridangam and Kanjira in the Thyagaraja and Swathi Tirunal festivals and he won prizes in the mridangam competitions conducted by SwaraLaya. He is keen in learning all percussion instruments. He is currently mentored by Sri Melakkaveri Balaji. Sumukha is in 2nd year Uni doing Chemical Engg and Bachelor of Science at UNSW and his main interests are music, table tennis and cricket.
Chi. Branavan Jeyarasa
Branavan Jeyarasa, is a lawyer by profession who graduated from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and is currently employed as a Senior Consultant with PWC. He has been learning mrudhangam for over 10 years, from Shri. R. Suthanthiraraj and currently under the tutelage of Vidwan "Nadha Oli" Melakkaveri Shri. K. Balaji for over 5 years. Branavan is also a talented kanjira artist and plays other percussion instruments such as tabla, ghatam, dhol, dholak and electronic and acoustic drums. He accompanies Carnatic musicians, Bharatanatyam dancers and regularly performs in Bharatanatyam Arangetrams, community productions and other cultural events.