Amie Maciszewski
512-263-2944
Amie Maciszewski is a sitarist (who sings), ethnomusicologist, and Hindustani music educator. She trained initially in Santiniketan, India, under the late Prof. Suresh Misra, where she stood first in her B.Mus. batch and went on to earn the M.Mus. degree. Disciple of Grammy-nominated sarode maestro Aashish Khan and Hindustani vocal diva Padmabhushan Girija Devi since the early 1990s, Amie has performed throughout North America, in India, Europe, and Japan, and has taught in North America since 1986. She has received awards and grants for her work as teaching artist, ensemble director, scholar, and documentary filmmaker. A Ph.D. in ethnomusicology (University of Texas/Austin), she has served as visiting professor and teaching artist on the faculties of the Universities of Colorado, Alberta, Pittsburgh, and Texas. Other residencies have taken her to schools as well as cultural and special needs centers around North America. In 2005, she performed to enthusiastic audiences at several venues in Kolkata, India, including the prestigious Sangeet Research Academy. In 2006 she served as Director of the Indian Music Ensemble, University of Alberta.
Also an activist scholar, she has published several articles in journals and books and produced three films documenting her research with courtesan musicians in India, which have screened at festivals and conferences in North America, India, and Europe.
This City of Austin Cultural Contractor since 2000 has been hailed “mesmerizing” in Austin’s world music scene. Her soundtrack appears on Cenozoic Studios’ critically acclaimed “Naan Wayne & Masala,” 2003 S X SW Festival Trailers. She released two CDs in 2007: her solo classical “Light and Legacy” and, leading her Sangeet Millennium Ensemble, “Shimmering,” both available on CD Baby. The latter was nominated “#1 CD in Texas in the Austin Chronicle Music Critics’ Poll 2007/08. She has been selected for the Texas Commission on the Arts Touring Roster for 2008-2010 and is currently working on a new CD. Amie teaches Hindustani vocal and instrumental music both privately and in small groups. Ages 7-99 are welcome! http://www.sangeetmillennium.org/, http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.aspx?epk_id=58596
Amjad Rahman
512-731-4222
Performing artist and teacher of North Indian Classical Music, Amjad Rahman is one of the foremost disciples of India's renowned musician Pt. Prof. N. V. Pattwardhan (Gwalior gharana) for more then ten years. Amjad has a Bachelors, Masters and M. Phil Degrees in Indian Classical Music from Maharaja Sayajirao University Baroda and Delhi University in India. Amjad has been giving concerts and workshops throughout India, Europe, Canada and through out the United States.
Anuradha Naimpally (Tanjore Performing Arts)
512-795-8627
Anuradha Naimpally is an exquisite classical Indian dancer of the Bharata Natyam style, who has won numerous international awards. Her mesmerizing performances gained her the recognition as "Best Dancer" in 2000 by the Austin Area Critics' Circle. She learned her first steps under Dr. Menaka Thakkar of Toronto. Love for dance brought her back to India to study professionally under Gurus Venugopal and Jayashree Pillai of Bombay. Later she also studied with Acharya Parvati Kumar and briefly with Dr. Padma Subrahmaniam. Anuradha has been performing worldwide for over 25 years. In 1989 she was awarded the prestigious Jacqueline LeMieux Prize by the Canada Council, making her the only Indian classical dancer to receive this high honor. She was bestowed the title of Sringar Mani, "Artistic Jewel", in Bombay after her performance at the Kal-Ke-Kalakar Festival in 1990. She has been on the faculty of various universities around Austin, such as University of Texas, St. Edward's, Southwestern, and currently, Austin Community College. In Austin, she has been a teacher with Ballet Austin's Leaps and No Bounds Program in AISD schools. Through One World Theatre, she presents assembly performances on Indian dance and culture in Austin area schools. She teaches Bharata Natyam technique through her organization, Tanjore Performing Arts. http://www.anunaimpally.com
Balaji Narasimhan
512-238-1606
Shri Balaji Narasimhan, hails from Srirangam, a famous religious center in Tamil Nadu, India. He had his initial training at the age of eight under Shri Hariharan, and then from Shri Embar Lakshminarasimhan (Brother of harikatha expert Shri Embar Vijayaragavachariar) and Shri Harikumar, All India Radio, Tiruchirapalli. He had his "Arangetram" in 1987 and started accompanying many artists both vocal and instrumental in Tamilnadu and other places in various sabhas. He has participated in Thyagaraja Aaradhana festivals held at Thiruvaiyaru and Srirangam. He has accompanied for many dance programs in Trichirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India. He received a talent search scholarship from Government of India for imparting specialized course for a period of 6 years. He is a B-high grade Mirudangam Artist of All India Radio, Trichirapalli, Tamil Nadu. He came under the tutelage of the popular Mirudangam maestro at Chennai - Shri Karaikudi R.Mani before coming over to the United States. He has performed on Doordarshan - Chennai as an accompanist both for vocal and Thalavadyam. He is currently accompanying for Vocal, Instrumental and Dance programs.
Bana Ramanath
Bana Ramanath who has been teaching in Texas for more than 15 years directs and teaches all Natyanjali classes in San Antonio and Austin. She has been trained in India by Guru late Vidhwan Chandrashekhar and Gurus Padmashri The Dhananjayans. She has taken natuvangam and abhinaya classes with Padmashri Adyar K. Lakshman and the abhinaya exponent Padma Bhushan Smt.Kalanidhi Narayanan, respectively. Bana has performed extensively in India as a cultural delegate of the government and in many states of USA. She is a performing artist on the roster for the Texas Commission on the Arts and currently performs and conducts workshops in colleges, universities, and special events all over Texas. She has received financial awards from the city of San Antonio and the state of Texas to produce and choreograph dance festivals and dance productions. Bana has been very successful in integrating Indian dance, music, and culture into the American mainstream through her work "Temple Dance of India - a Universal Language" Bana Currently teaches classical and folk dances of India in San Antonio and Austin and "Dances of India" informal classes at the University of Texas in Austin. http://www.natyanjali.net
D. B. Ashvin
512-481-1255
D.B. Ashvin is the Grandson of Kalaimamani Late Shri.T.K.Rangachary a doyen of carnatic music. He has been under the tutelage of Shri. Vairamangalam Laksminarayanan for the past 15 years. He has performed extensively in various sabhas and major cities in India and has many awards to his credit including best vocalist award from the Music Academy and Krishna Gana Sabha to name a few. He is currently doing his masters in Manufacturing systems at the University of Texas at Austin. http://webspace.utexas.edu/~ashvindb
Geetha Narasimhan
512-671-8814
Geetha Narasimhan started learning Music from her mother Smt. Kamala Narasimhan at the tender age of 3 1/2 yrs. She has learned carnatic music under different gurus namely S.K. Vasumathi, Usha Chary, Janaki Raman, Sivarama Kodudula and continues to take lessons from various artists visiting Austin, TX. Her first concert was in Gaana Kala Parishat, Bangalore at the age of 9. She has won various awards in music and have been giving lessons for the past 8 yrs. Location: Round Rock.
Hema Raja
512-288-3842
Hema Raja is a proficient Bharathanatyam dancer and teacher having received her training since the age of 6. Her early training was received under Smt. Muthulakshmi, an eminent dancer from the temple town of Srivilliputtur, India. Hema Raja has given numerous stage performances both in India and in the U.S. She received prizes and awards for her performances. Hema Raja is also a certified Yoga instructor from Swami Vivekananda Yoga Center, Chennai. Her passion to propagate Indian classical dance and Yoga takes her back to India every year to update her training under renowned artists. Hema has been teaching Bharathanatyam, Semi classical dance and Yoga for more than five years in Southwest Austin and is currently accepting students of all ages
Hema Ravichchandar
Hema started learning Veena and Vocal at the age of eleven.from Mrs Kannamma Rengarajan, Mr Koviladi Rengarajan and Ms. Kala Rengarajan. Hema has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Indian Music from University of Madras. Hema has given performances in All India Radio, Trichy and has been teaching Carnatic music since 1985.
Mrudula Naveen
512-670-5479
For Additional Info Click Here
Mrudula Naveen has been pursuing the divine art form of Bharata Natyam for more than two decades. She was initiated to this divine art at the age of two and a half under the guidance of Smt. Sujatha Ramalingam (nee Parashuraman), student of Shree K. Adayar Laxman, Kalakshetra. She gave her maiden performance (Arangetram) at the age of five and half in Chennai. Subsequently, she started learning from Smt. Sugandhi Subramaniam of Natanapriya, student of Shree Kalasadan Mani, Mumbai. Under her guidance, she gave many performances in and around Mumbai. Currently, she is a disciple of Guru Smt.Rajee Narayan, founder-director Nritya Geethanjali. She has given various solo as well as group performances in Mumbai and Chennai under her tutelage. She started a branch of Nritya Geetanjali at Thane, Mumbai in the year 2001. She has been learning Carnatic music under Guru Smt. Padma Ganapathy, Thane, Mumbai for many years. She gave her maiden concert in 1999, at Thane.
Recent performances include:
Navaratri celebrations of October 2005 in Sunnyvale.
As a part of "Sanhiti", a South Indian dance troupe, she participated in the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival and has performed in events held in the bay area.
Short performances in July and August - Vigraha Pratishta function at Austin Hindu Temple; ICC Independence Day function.
Bhajan concerts at Fremont temple, Badrikashram and Sunnyvale Hindu temple, California.
Currently classes are being conducted for dance (Bharatanatyam and folk) and music (Carnatic and bhajans).
Mythily Srinivasan
512-761-4158
Mythily Srinivasan started learning music from age 9 under the guidance of violinist Mr. Kuppuswamy Iyer and Manakkal Varadarajan. Later she took lessons from Ms. Visalam Venkatachalam, Radha Venkatachalam and others. As resident of Raleigh, North Carolina since 1987, she has been actively engaged in providing Carnatic music lessons for the local Indian community. Many of her students have won distinguished awards in Carnatic music from various cultural organizations in USA. While living in Raleigh, Mythily Srinivasan has not only been teaching music to over 50 students, she was actively managing several cultural organizations. She was the president of Indian Classical Music and Dance Society of NC for several years. She is a founder and patron of Ragasudha, a cultural organization in Raleigh. She was also the founder of Aradhana Group of Music. She initiated the Thyagaraja Aradhana Festival and Annamacharya Day in Raleigh and they are actively progressing for over a decade. She has organized and participated in several fund raising programs like dance dramas, Taranginis, bhajans in various languages in the Carolinas. She has been the recipient of numerous awards for promoting Carnatic classical and light music in India and USA.
PAVITHRA RAMADOSS
Pavithra Ramadoss is a Bharatanatyam dancer and teacher. She had her initial training under Priyadarshini Ramchand (Senior disciple of PadmaShri Chitra Visweswaran) and performed her Arangetram at the age of 13. She then came under the direct tutelage of PadmaShri Chitra Visweswaran and Vijay Madhavan (senior disciple) and continued to train and perform in various venues in India. She has also performed regularly in Austin at the Thyagaraja Aradhana and other cultural programs over the years. Pavithra enjoys learning and teaching dance and her aim is to pursue a career in dance with a focus on performances and group choreography. Pavithra is currently accepting students of all skill levels and conducts classes at North Austin and South Austin locations.
Phone # 512 971 2614
Poornima Rao
Poornima started learning classical vocal from her mother Vijaya Subramhanyam as a child and took Veena training for over 14 yrs, initially from Sister Sangeetha Srinidhi and advanced training from Vidwan. A.V. Prakash; a reknowned flautist. She has also had lessons in Kannada bhavageethe and light music under Smt. H.R. Leelavathi (President, Sangeetha nrithya academy). A recipient of National talent scholorship, Poornima is a graded AIR and doordarshan artist with various prizes and awards to her credit.
Revathi Ravi
512-252-9582
Revathi Ravi has been teaching music for the past 15 years. She was trained by Sri Bellary Venkateshachar and Sri Vishwanatha Iyer of Mysore and by Papanasam Smt Rukmini Ramani of Madras. Location: Pflugerville
Snigdha Mishra
512-257-9170
Profile: Founder and Director of the Raagini School of Music. Instruction in Vocal music (Hindustani classical, Semi Classical, Bhajan, Sanskrit Shlokas and Compositions, Folk Songs and Light Compositions). Children especially welcome. Snigdha is a Sangeet Visharad in Hindustani Classical Music from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Pune. Snigdha trained under her mother, Arati Mishra, who is a well known exponent of Hindustani classical and Odissi classical music. Snigdha has given numerous performances in India, Europe and the U.S.
Swetha Prashanth
512-502-5723
Swetha Prashanth is an accomplished Semi-Classical and Light Music singer who hails from Bangalore, Karnataka.She has been in the field of Music for over 15 years. Swetha practiced Carnatic Vocal under the guidance of Mrs.Jambu Kannan and Mr.Tirumale Srinivas and Light Music from Mrs.Malathi Sharma in Bangalore. She has been a Professional in Daasa Sangeetha, Bhaavageetha, Film and Folk Music and also has handled Music Classes. Besides being a Musician ,she is also a Software Engineer.
Her Important Achievements in Music are:
Has won more than 500 prizes in various Music Competitions at District, State & National level competitions in light music and Carnatic Vocal.
Has rendered more than 650 solo performances both in Semi-Classical and Light music all over India at places like Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi & Mumbai
Has performed in various TV shows for UdayaTV (Naada Programme), ETV Kannada (Ede Tumbi HaaduvenuProgramme, Raaga Ranjini of Praveen Godkhindi, Kannada Sambhrama Programme) UsheTV (Geetanjali Programme), Doordarshan (Sangeetha SambhramaProgramme and many shows for National Festivals) and SitiCable. Has also been an artist for the All India Radio.
Has worked with many famous Film Music Directors like V.Manohar, Hamsalekha, C.Ashwath, Raju Ananthaswamy, B.V.Srinivas, Praveen Godkhindi, K.Kalyan.
Has performed with various renowned singers like S.P.Balasubramaniam, C.Ashwath, Manjula Gururaj, Rajesh Krishnan, Hemanth, Raju Ananthaswamy, Ratnamala Prakash, B.R.Chaya, Shashidhar Kote, Rameshchandra, Yeshwanth Halebandi, Puttur Narasimha Naik.
One amongst five to be selected amongst 750 participants from all over Karnataka to perform in one of the most popular Talent show called Hombale Prathiba Ranga.Programme – IV held at Ravindra Kalashetra, Bangalore on 29/01/96.
Has been awarded with Scholarship from Karnataka Nritya Sangeetha Academy in Music.
Has been felicitated by many Organizations like HP, TcgIvega Information Technologies Pvt.Ltd., State Bank of Mysore, Rotary Club, Aryabhatta Cultural Organization, Karnataka Electricity Board, Karnataka Sangeetha Nrithya Academy and many other Public and Private sectors.
Vani Aravind
512-257-1989
Vani Arvind is a Carnatic Classical Vocalist, originally hailing from Mysore. She started learning vocal at the young age of 5 years under the guidance of Late Vidushi Smt. R. Jalajakshamma, who was a disciple of Karnataka Kalatilaka, Asthana Vidwan Late. Sri. S.N. Mariyappa from Mysore. Vani rendered her first concert at the age of 10 and went on to have many concerts to her credit. She has performed in India, US and Middle East. She has numerous accolades and has won many awards during her career. She was conferred “Samaja Ratna”award by Jnana Mandara Educational & Cultural Academy on the occasion of Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations in Bangalore. She is a B–high grade artist of All India Radio (AIR), Mysore and has performed on various occasions for AIR. She has written and composed many kritis and bhajans both in classical and semi–classical in Kannada and Hindi languages. She has been teaching devaranamas extensively in addition to carnatic vocal since 1993. She also continues to impart her knowledge through music workshops in various cities. She continues to get guidance from Vidushi. Smt. R. Leelavathi and Vidushi. Smt. Bharathi from Mysore.
Vinitha Subramanian (Natyalaya School of Dance)
254-913-7643
Natyalaya School of Dance is dedicated to the teaching and propagation of Indian Classical Dancing particularly Bharatanatyam. We try to inculcate the love of dancing so that every child can realize its full potential in the art of dancing. Mrs Vinitha Subramanian , the director has been a teacher in the Central Texas area for over 20 years. Many students of Natyalaya have gone on to make their mark as dancers all over the US. Natyalaya has several dance dramas to their credit: Basmasura Mohini, Seetha Kalyanam, Aru Padai Veedu, Raja Rajeshwari, Prahala Bhakthi Vijayam to name a few. Students actively participate in the annual recital and in many cultural events in the Central Texas region. Classes are held in the Asian American Cultural Center on Jollyville Rd. With 4 teachers and classes for all levels of students, Natyalaya offers a flexible schedule for today's busy world.
Sameer Kotasthane
512-940-4935
Sameer's music students make him proud. They have won prizes at local competitions and earned praise through their solo performances in Central Texas.
Sameer's skills in harmonium- and tabla-playing complement his extensive vocal training. They also allow him to develop his students into mature performing artists with good stage presence. This makes him a unique and highly sought-after music teacher in Austin.
For twenty years, Sameer trained under Pt. Vijay Koparkar and Mrs. Sangeeta Pandharpurkar. He is a recipient of the National Talent Scholarship and several dozen awards in India. Sameer has performed numerous times on the All India Radio and National Television as well as throughout Texas. He has accompanied senior artists such as Pt. Ajay Pohankar, Gourisankar Karmakar, Vidyadhar Vyas and Tulika Ghosh. He has been invited to conduct lecture demonstrations on vocal music by Central Texas organizations such as ICMCA, SPICMACAY and Naadasudha. Sameer has a ‘Sangeet Visharad’ degree in Hindustani Classical Music.
Here are some video clips of Sameer’s vocal performance:
1. Video Clip 1
2. Video Clip 2
3. Video Clip 3
Vishaal Sapuram
Vishaal Sapuram, nineteen years old, is a proficient Carnatic (South Indian traditional) vocalist, chitravina player, and music teacher. A child prodigy, he showed his innate love and talent for music even as an infant, and was initiated into Carnatic music under Karpagam Narayanan of Houston, U.S.A. when he was three. At age six, he came under the tutelage of the internationally renowned musical genius Chitravina Shri N Ravikiran, under whose expert guidance Vishaal has rapidly emerged as a capable performing artist. Some of his early landmarks include winning the first prize in the 1998 Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana at age seven and singing in the Vintage Virtuosos’ album, “Ranganathaya Namaha” directed by Ravikiran at age eight.
At the age of nine, with the blessings of musical legends Semmangudi Shri Srinivasa Iyer and Smt D K Pattammal, Vishaal proceeded to give his maiden vocal recital at the Music Academy in Chennai, India, with celebrated accompanists. Having received much praise for this endeavor, Vishaal began to perform more in Chennai, as well as in the U.S. and Malaysia, His talent has been favorably documented by critics of periodicals like The Hindu, Mylapore Times, and Kalki. In 2003, he was featured as one of the vocalists in Ravikiran’s ensemble for the album, “Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi’s Saptaratnas”.
By age thirteen, Vishaal had switched to the exquisite chitravina, a rare fretless 21-stringed slide lute. Since then, he has performed as a soloist and also played “chitravina support” for his guru for major sabhas and organisations such as SIFA in San Jose, MITHAS in Boston, the Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana, and the Houston Tyagaraja Utsavam in USA, Temple of Fine Arts in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Raga Dhana in Udupi, as well as in Chennai at prestigious sabhas like Kartik Fine Arts, Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, and Nada Inbam, including during the Chennai music season. He has also performed for and received the blessings of the world-famous Art of Living spiritual leader, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
Vishaal has been serving as a teacher under Ravikiran’s International Foundation for Carnatic Music since he was ten, and one of his students, Arjun Adapalli, has gone on to give his arangetram at age twelve. Vishaal has also developed a system of electronic notation and contributed to some of the Foundation’s publications.
A resident of the U.S.A., Vishaal has excelled in academics, having achieved a high rank in his high school class and earned the respected National AP Scholar and National Merit Finalist titles. He is now pursuing his undergraduate degree at the University of Texas at Austin.
