Guru ‘Kalashree’ Sukanya Mahadevan

Nattuvangam

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Smt. Soumya Balaji

Vocalist

Soumya Balaji is from Vadodara, Gujarat. She had her initial training in her school days under Smt. Rajalakshmi Srinivasan of Nanganallur. She continued her training under Smt. Mahalakshmi Ramachandran in Vadodara. Prior to her marriage, she also learnt from Smt. Geetha Raja (disciple of Brinda & Mukta) in Chennai.

She performed as a youth artist in AIR Chennai. She was in Highland, NY and taught Carnatic vocal lessons for close to 10 years. She has sung for Rangapravesams and Arangetrams in upstate New York and continues to do so in New Jersey. Currently she lives in Princeton, NJ with her family.

Shri Karthik Subramanian

Mridangam

Karthik’s percussion journey started as a self-taught drummer driven by a deep passion for music. His love for percussion, focus, and dedication have enabled his growth as a pro of veritable talent. He has been performing light music concerts all across the USA for the past 20+ years. Over the years, he has accompanied legends such as SPB, K.J. Yesudas, Chitra and Mano.

Karthik’s venture in classical music started in 2010, leading up to his Mridangam arangetram (debut performance) under the tutelage of Guru Sri T S. Nandakumar. He continues to hone his skills with advanced training. He has been accompanying classical music and dance performances on his Mridangam as well as drum pads for the past couple of years.

Shri Sandip Iyer

Rhythm pads

Sandeep Iyer is an IT professional and an ardent music enthusiast. During his childhood days, he was trained for a few years in carnatic vocals and mridangam. Over the past couple of years, he has been actively advancing his skills in Mridangam under the able guidance of his guru Sri T.S.Nandakumar. Sandeep has accompanied and collaborated with many artists in the tri-state area for music and dance concerts. He has performed in major venues including the Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival. Sandeep considers it as a blessing and the biggest highlight of his musical career to be able to perform his mridangam arangetram with legendary Padmashri A. Kanyakumari.

In the light music world, Sandeep has been performing as a lead vocalist and percussionist with various fusion bands back in India and in the US.

Smt. Nirmala Rajesh

Violin

Smt. Nirmala Rajesh is a New Jersey-based Carnatic vocalist, violinist, and the Director of the award-winning Sruthiswara School of Music. Initiated into the art form at a very young age, her years of childhood instruction led her to pursue formal music education. She is currently a PhD doctoral student focusing on the therapeutic role of music in the overall development of children with special needs. Additionally, Nirmala holds two master’s degrees in finance.

She learned vocals from gurus hailing from the parampara (lineage) of Vidwan Semmangudi Sreenivasa Iyer. She has provided vocal and violin accompaniment for various artists, including Padmashree Sirkazhi Sivachidambaram and Sangitha Kalanidhi Sri Neyveli Santhanagopalan. A frequent participant in music competitions, she was featured in Sun TV’s “SaptaSwarangal” program and was once named “Best Teenage Artist.”

Aside from being a student and performer, Nirmala has taught Carnatic music, both in-person and online, to a large group of students for over 20 years. She is a regular performer at cultural programs sponsored by local organizations and during the December music festivals in Chennai. Her solo vocal and violin performances can be viewed here.

Shri Visveshwar Nagarajan

Flute

Visveshwar N is a renowned flautist who carries the prestigious A-grade rating from AIR radio, one of the youngest ever to receive this honor. Now residing in New Jersey, his music has resonated across the globe.

Visveshwar began his musical journey at just nine years old. Over the past 17 years, he has presented over 1,500 concerts, with his music transcending borders and styles. His repertoire spans a wide range—from traditional Carnatic concerts to Bollywood music for weddings. He has supported dance productions and performed Indian Jazz fusion music at international festivals with his band.

His early training and inspiration were from his grandfather, Singanallur Ramaraja Iyer. His exceptional talent was recognized early when he was awarded the “Best Instrumentalist Prize” by the esteemed Madras Music Academy at the age of 14. His career is marked by numerous prestigious titles, including Venu Gana Rathna, Venu Ilamamani, Vamshi Kaladhara, and Bala Kala Rathna. In recognition of his remarkable abilities, he was granted a cultural scholarship by the government.

Aside from his musical endeavors, Visveshwar is also an alumnus of Cornell University and currently serves as an AI product manager.