A non-profit organization, tax exempt under 501(c)(3) and incorporated in California.
Founded with a charter of promoting Indian Classical music and dance forms in North America.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Spring 2011 - Vidwan T.M.Krishna Concert tour of North America

SanKritiLaya is pleased to announce the North American tour of Vidwan T.M.Krishna accompanied by Vidwan R.K.Shriramkumar and by Vidwan K.Arun Prakash for the Spring 2011 season.


Vidwan TM Krishnai s at the forefront of classical vocalists in India today. His tremendous stage-presence, his aweinspiring voice, his great scholarship and his ability to transcend cultural borders makes him the greatest ambassador of his chosen field, the South Indian Classical Tradition. His youthful and innovative approach also draws a vast teen audience appeal – key for this tradition to survive and thrive.
Born into a traditional business family, his blazing talent was recognized by his mother who placed him under the guidance of a series of great Gurus, including Shri B Seetharama Sarma, culminating with the greatest of them all, Sri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer. His resonant and mellifluous voice, strict adherence to classicism, the high level of aesthetics in his music and his deep involvement with the ragas makes every concert a treat for the listener.He is deeply involved in research in the field of Carnatic Music. He is presently working on audio-archiving the Sangita Sampradaya Pradarshini a musical treatise of great importance in relation to the compositions of Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar. In the tradition of his Gurus, he has many students from India and abroad. He has also founded several organizations to promote Carnatic Music in many ways like promoting culture and art in temples, encouraging youth talent, spotting and sponsoring talent from rural areas to learn music, getting the youth interested in Carnatic Music through youth festivals and so on.
Widely performed and performing to various parts of the world, TM Krishna is a recipient of numerous awards in the field of Music; has numerous audio and video albums released. He holds the distinction of co-architecting the first ever Concert Musical Movie of its kind in the world, Margazhi Raagam, released in 2009 to audience worldwide. All the three artists of this team have starred in the film.

R. K. Shriramkumar is a top-flight Classical Violin artist of India. R K Shriramkumar belongs to the Rudrapatnam family of musicians, a family with a glorious musical tradition. He is the grandson of the much respected Vidvan Shri R K Venkatarama Shastri. Having had his initial lessons in violin playing fromV idushi Smt.Savitri Satyamurthy, Shriramkumar was trained by his grandfather. He later received guidance from Vidvan Shri V V Subrahmanyam and also had training in vocal music from Sangita Kalanidhi Shri D K Jayaraman. His skills were further honed through the association and learning he gained by accompanying the doyens of Carnatic music like Sangita Kalanidhis Shri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Smt M S Subbulakshmi, Smt D K Pattammal, Shri D K Jayaraman, Shri Palghat K V Narayanaswamy, Smt T Brinda and others.
Shriramkumar has provided violin accompaniment in several commercial recordings and has had the blessed opportunity of participating in a very unique recording entitled ‘Divine Unison’ featuring the great veterans Shri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and Smt M S Subbulakshmi. A recipient of many awards, including the prestigious Isai Peroli (2009) , Shriramkumar has traveled far and wide on concert tours. He also directed the music for a special television presentation on the Sringeri Sharada Peetam and has set to music a few compositions of the Acharyas of the Sharada Peetam.

K. Arun Prakash is the son of the renowned music composer Kalaimamani Sri L. Krishnan. He began learning the art of playing the mridangam from Kalaimamani Ramanathapuram Sri M.N. Kandaswamy Pillai from the age of 9, and began performing in concerts by the age of 11. Since then, Arun Prakash has had the honor of accompanying musicians like the great Smt.D.K. Pattammal, Palghat Sri K.V. Narayanaswamy, Sri T.N. Krishnan, and Sri Lalgudi G. Jayaraman. He has performed throughout India, the United States, Europe, and Australia.
Arun Prakash's style can be described as a blend of tradition and modernity with which he enhances the overall concert experience. His accompaniment, during all aspects of a concert, is musical and he weaves in unique and complex mathematical calculations without sacrificing the aesthetics of the music. Arun Prakash has won various awards including Best Young Mridangist from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha (1984), Best Mridangist from The Music Academy (1994.1996,1999, 2002, 2005), Yuva Kala Bharathi from Bharat Kalachar (1996). He also has the distinction of being the first percussionist to receive the Kalki Krishnamurthy award (2000)

Friday, February 18, 2011

Spring 2011 - Priya Sisters Vocal Concert tour

SanKritiLaya is proud to announce the first of the 2011 concert tours - A vocal concert tour by Priya Sisters accompanied by B.V.Ragavendra Rao on Violin and by Neyveli Skanda Subramanian on Mridangam.


Vidhushi Shanmukha Priya and Vidushi Hari Priya, are the renowned musical duo popularly known as the  'Priya Sisters', in the sphere of carnatic music. Born to Smt.V.Lalitha and Sri.V.V.Subba Ram, Priya Sisters  started learning Carnatic Vocal Music since the age of five under the tutelage of their father Sri. V.V.Subba Ram who is a post-graduate in music. Later they had their advanced training under the renowned duo Kalaimamanis Radha & Jayalakshmi. Presently they are under the scholarly guidance of Prof.T.R.Subramaniam. Priya Sisters started performing since 1989 & have given more than 2000 concerts all over India & abroad till date. Besides performing for all the major organizations in India, they have also toured countries like USA, Canada, Maurtitius, UK, UAE, Australia & Sri Lanka.
Busy artists in the national and international circuits, Priya Sisters have traveled widely for concerts in India and abroad, touring countries like U.S.A., Canada, U.K., Mauritius etc. They have performed in a number of prestigious festivals such as the spirit of unity concerts, Duo festival, Festival of Hyderabad, World Tamil conference etc. They were one of the chosen few to have been invited to perform in the 69th and 70th Birthday celebrations of Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba at Puttaparti. They also had the privilege of performing at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi in the presence of the then President of India, Sri. R. Venkataraman.
Priya sisters have been the recipients of the 'Best Female Vocalists' awards from Music Academy, Sri Krishna Gana Sabha and the Indian Fine Arts Society, Chennai. They have also received the M.L.V. memorial award. They have been conferred the titles 'Sangeeta Sarada' and 'Gayani  Sironmani'. Shanmukha Priya and Hari Priya have received the prestigious 'Ugadi Purashkar 2000' from the Madras Telugu Academy for their achievements in Carnatic Classical Music.
Many recording companies have released a number of  albums of Priya Sisters. Including the popular 'In  Harmony', Bhadrachala Ramdas Kritis, Gaanam, Serene Moments, Annamayya Lahari, Giridhara Gopala, Devi Kritis to name a few.
Their art form is characteristic of the G.N.B.  Bhaani (style), with their  sruti-aligned, attractive,  brigaa-oriented voices lending them ready support to leave an enduring impression on the listener.

Vidwan B.V. Raghavendra Rao hails from a distinguished family of musicians. He was initiated into the niceties of music at an early age of five by his father B.Sudarsana Rao.Attracted by the lure of classical music from his childhood, he trained rigorously on the violin for several years under Guru Shri Balan, Shri Sangeetham Meerasahib and became the disciple of the violin maestro Sangeetha Kalanidhi Shri T.N.Krishnan. Later he received invaluable guidance and concert experience from Dr.M.Balamuralikrishna, arguably one of the greatest musician India has produced in the 20th century. As a young artiste he received the appreciation of the President of India for accompanying the celebrated musical genius. The melodious and mellifluous music that he brings  out through the violin illustrates his strong creative imagination that scales great heights.
He has won several prizes and awards from various  Sabhas in Madras. He has participated in the prestigious  Bharat Cultural Integration Committee's (BCIC) music festivals organized all over India.
Raghavendra Rao has performed internationally and has participated in numerous music festivals of I.C.C.R., and the prestigious "Festival of India" programs. He has widely traveled all over the world, including the U.S.A., Canada, France, Germany, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius and the Middle Eastern countries.
Raghavendra's devotion and his quest for perfection find their expression in his violin-play.

Vidwan Neyveli Skandasubramanian is a disciple of Vidwan Tiruvarar Shri. R. Krishnamoorthy and Vidwan 'Kalaimamani' Tiruvarur Shri. Bhakthavatsalam. He has been giving performances with most top-ranking artists at major Sabhas all over India and abroad. He has traveled and performed widely around the world and is the recipient of many awards. He is a prominent preferred accompanist for many of the
leading vocalists.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Malladi Brothers 2010 Tour Schedule: US & Canada




Date
Venue
11 Sep 2010
Los Angeles, CA (started on Vinayaka Chaturthi)
12 Sep 2010
17 Sep 2010
18 Sep 2010
19 Sep 2010
25 Sep 2010
Montreal, QC, Canada
26 Sep 2010
Toronto, ON, Canada
01 Oct 2010
02 Oct 2010
03 Oct 2010
08 Oct 2010
10 Oct 2010
South Bend, IN
16 Oct 2010
17 Oct 2010
23 Oct 2010
24 Oct 2010
29 Oct 2010
30 Oct 2010
31 Oct 2010
03 Nov 2010
Portland, OR
06 Nov 2010
07 Nov 2010
12 Nov 2010
13 Nov 2010
14 Nov 2010

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Master Hari Om (Hari Eranki) US tour schedule


Oct 2nd 2010
Classical dance performance organized by Yuva Bharati, California

Oct 9th 2010
Classical dance performance at Andhra Cultural Festival organized by Silicon Andhra (Telugu Samskruti Sampradaya Spoorthi), California

Oct 10th - Oct 16th 2010
Workshop organized by Washington Telugu Samiti (WATS), Seattle

Oct 17th 2010
Classical dance performance organized by Washington Telugu Samiti (WATS), Seattle

Oct 30th 2010
Dance performance as featured artisit in Dasara Celebrations by Tri-State Telugu Association, Chicago

Oct 31st 2010
Classical dance performance at Balaji Temple, Chicago

Monday, August 16, 2010

Malladi Brothers Concert tour - Fall 2010

Sankritilaya is pleased to announce the vocal concert tour by Malladi brothers accompanied by B.U.Ganesh Prasad on violin and by Patri Satish Kumar on mridangam, for this Fall 2010 season (September-November 2010).
(Update: The bay area/San Jose concert of Malladi Brothers is on October 31,2010, at 3.30p.m. Location: Cubberly Theater, Palo Alto. Tickets here. This concert is presented jointly with Sri Rama Lalith Kala Mandir)
Malladi Brothers Sreeramaprasad and Ravikumar were born with a legacy and rich tradition accrued through their grand father Sri Malladi Srirama Murthy and through their father Sri Suri Babu, a disciple of Voleti Sri Venkateswarulu. They have received additional training from Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri Pada Pinakapani and his well-known disciple, Sangeetha Kalanidhi Nedunuri Krishnamurthy who, realizing the potential of Malladi Brothers, took them under his guidance to represent his rich style of music. A large repertoire of Carnatic compositions and possession of vibrant and powerful voices have made Sreeram Prasad and Ravikumar the most sought after young maestros. Their musical intellect, melody & aesthetics provide for a most scintillating concert. They have sustained a classic and symbolic expression of Carnatic music, bagging awards from premier organizations including the prestigious
premier National Youth Music Title of Sangeetha Yuva Puraskar by Sangeet Natak Akademi; Isai Peroli by Karthik Fine Arts, Chennai; title of Aasthana Vidwan of the Avadhoota Datta Peetham, Mysore, being the youngest to receive the honor thus far; title of Naadha Bhushanam from Shanmuganandha Fine Arts, New Delhi; title of Naadha Mani from Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam
They have traveled extensively all over India and abroad (including several tours of Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia) promoting and preserving the rich traditional music they represent.

B.U.Ganesh Prasad hails from a family of connoiseurs of classical music & his blazing talent was recognized at a very young age by his father late Sri B.S. Umakanth. He had his initial violin training under Basavanagudi Nataraj & vocal guidance from Bangalore S.Shankar during his formative years. It was under the able guidance of violin maestro Sri V.V.Subramaniam, that Ganesh further honed & nurtured his skills. An accomplished vocalist himself, he is able to vocalize his violin style with fluency. He is currently the disciple of Sangeetha Kalacharya P.S.Narayanaswamy of Semmangudi school.
Acknowledged as a violinist par excellence ,Ganesh Prasad is an A- graded artist of All India Radio & Doordarshan. He has accompanied legenderay  musicians in the field of Carnatic music including ,Smt D.K.Pattamal, Nedunuri Krishnamurthy, T.V.Shankaranarayanan ,Madurai T.N. Seshagopalan, R.K. Srikantan & among the present day top artists like Bombay Jayshree, Sudha Raghunathan, Sanjay Subramaniam, T.M. Krishna to name a few. His talent has taken him all over the globe perfroming for different spectrum of audiences both as a soloist & accompanist. He has been featured in many commercial CD's & DVD's with various artists & also has produced a violin solo album called as Blissful Strings.

Patri Satish Kumar is one of the most sought after Mridangam artists. His gurus are some of the great Mridangam players from Andhra - Sri Ramachandramurthy, Sri V.A. Swami and Sri V. Narasimhan. Satish was inspired into the world of Percussion right from childhood by his mother Padmavathy, a renowned violinist. He played his first concert at the young age of 7.
An exponent of Classical, Fusion and Jazz percussion, Satish is a very innovative artist and has performed in many international festivals. Satish has played many audio and video recordings with different melodic instruments from India and the West & has also conceived a special Laya Vinyasam (a cascade of rhythms) titled ‘Dancing Drums’. He has evolved a style of his own which he blends perfectly with different instruments and voice as he adapts his approach playing alongside varied melodic instruments. Satish Kumar has regaled audiences all over the world – including the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, Middle-east, Singapore and Japan. He has been awarded ASTHANA VIDWAN of Kanchi Kaamakothipeetham of Kanchipuram along with the title “MRIDANGA NAADA MANI”. He has also been conferred the title “NAVAYUGA  NANDHI” by Sri Siddha Baala Peetham of Tirunelveli. Satish is known for spontaneity, fine artistry and deft fingering techniques. Satish is ranked A-Top artist by AIR. A teacher with individualized touch, He has disciples in most continents. He has been featured in many national and international broadcasts.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Master Hari Om (Hari Eranki) Kuchipudi Tour


Hari Eranki (Master Hari Om), is widely recognized as one of the youth torch bearers of Kuchipudi, the ancient Indian classical dance from the state of Andhra Pradesh. A gifted artist from Visakhapatnam,Hari has the unique distinction of being the trendsetter of all forms of Indian dance including Kuchipudi, Bollywood, etc in his new home Hong Kong and is responsible for elevating Kuchipudi to its current prestigious position in this cosmopolitan world city. His ability to teach and choreograph both classical and modern forms of dance with equal finesse and to organize elaborate shows and performances resplendent with traditional costumes, has carved a niche for him amongst several dance teachers in Hong Kong and made him a popular icon and gave him a special place in his students' hearts. With more than 80 students learning Kuchipudi from him,Hari is an able and successful messenger of this art when you consider the fact that none of his students are of Indian origin. Describing dance as a soulful experience,Hari has been instrumental in erasing geographical and cultural boundaries by sharing his art and knowledge to spread the awareness about this beautiful dance.
A child prodigy who started learning dance at the age of 3 and started performing at the age of 5, Hari was born into a family of traditional musicians and is the son of Prof. Sri Suryanarayana Murthy and Late Smt. Nagamamba. A recipient of the scholarship from The Center for Cultural Resources and Training, a division of the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development, Hari is a Kuchipudi Diploma holder from the Telugu University, Hyderabad, India, He is the student of the legendary Kuchipudi exponent and guru Sri Pasumarthi Sitaramiah. Hari's passion for dance has driven him to also learn Kuchipudi in the Kalakshetra tradition from Smt. Bala Kondala Rao and Sri Hari Rammurty, Bharatanatyam from Sri A. Rukmaji Rao and Perini Shiva Tandavam from Sri Nataraj Parameswaran. His love for rhythm motivated him to learn and obtain a certificate in Mridangam from the Telugu University.
Hari performed extensively in India and has won several prizes in various competitions in Kuchipudi dance conducted at national, state and district levels in India. He participated in Kuchipudi International Dance Festivals in India along with the Kuchipudi exponent Smt. Swapna Sundari and his guru. Prior to his ventures in Hong Kong, Hari had been teaching since 1992 in his own dance school in India named Sri Gowthami Kala Vihara which was founded by his mother. He has performed and choreographed for several prestigious events in Hong Kong. Notable amongst them are his performances for Asia Yoga Conference, Udavum Karangal charity shows, International dance extravaganza and others. He has established the tradition of hosting annual Sankranthi Shows by his students and himself and it is one of the most sought after events in Hong Kong.
Hari’s USP lies in his ability to connect to his students and his ability to cater to all kinds of audiences. His dedication to the art, his passion for teaching, and his benevolent personality are unmatched. He has designed several innovative dance workshops. His creative ventures in experimentation while maintaining the pristine quality of the dance have been embraced by the audiences with great enthusiasm and gusto. Hari has been featured in several news articles for his achievements. His Kuchipudi videos on Youtube are extremely popular in this genre and have earned him global fan following.
To learn more about the artist visit him at
Reviews about Hari:

The bay area performance is hosted by Yuva Bharathi and will be on Oct. 2nd, 2010. More details on this event - here.
Full tour schedule: here

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Prince Rama Varma Concert in San Jose - June 13,2010

Location: CET Anthony Soto Auditorium, 701 Vine Street, San Jose, CA
Sankritilaya and Sri Rama Lalith Kala Mandir are the co-sponsors for this concert.

Sincere thanks to the overwhelming support and turnout from the rasikas/supporters for this concert! Several rasikas have also sent in emails appreciating this unique concert, and we thank you all for your appreciation and support!

If you would like to obtain a copy of recording (mp3 audio cd) of this concert by mail, send us an email! :
Contents of the CD:
00 Welcoming the Artists
01 Vanajakshi-(Varnam)-Kalyani-Ata-Pallavi Gopala Iyer
02 Rakshimpave-Mayamalavagowla-KhandaChapu-Tyagaraja
03 Akhilandeswari-Dwijavanti-Adi-Dikshitar
04 Ekkadi Manusha-Revagupti-Eka-Annamayya's_son
05 Amba Kamakshi-(Swarajati)-Bhairavi-MisraChapu-Syama Sastri
06 Raminchu Varevarura-Subhoshini-Adi-Tyagaraja
07 JayaJaya Padmanabha-Sarasangi-Adi-SwathiTirunal
08 Hariyum Haranum-Atana-Adi-M D Ramanathan
09 Narajanma Bandaga-Saurashtra-Chapu-PurandaraDasa
10 SriRamaNamam-Sankarabharanam-Eka-Bhadrachala Ramadas
11 VaraleelaGaanalola-Sankarabharanam-Rupakam-Tyagaraja
12 Karuna Cheyvaan-Yadukula Khamboji-Chapu-Irayimman Thampi
13 Tillana-Kadanakuthoohalam-Adi-Balamurali Krishna
14 Mangalam (BhujagaSaayinam)
15 Artist's Conclusion Speech
16 Vote of Thanks (Smt Jayashree Varadarajan)