Dr. Sudha Ragunathan

5 April 2025

In the Utzon Room

Classical Music

Carnatic Music today symbolises an effort to bring an ancient performance practice to the contemporary audience and listener. What once was the traditional music of the temple halls and "darbars" (royal court concerts) - a music soaked in "bhakti" (devotion), "rasa" (emotion), and "manodharma" (personal creativity) - is now re-contextualised incorporating a new pallet of sounds and innovative instrumentation to connect the audience to the inspiration of that tradition. 

Useful information:

Dr. Sudha Ragunathan

As a prominent vocalist in the carnatic musical tradition, Sudha Ragunathan’s voice enthralls listeners from around the world. Among the first in her generation to receive many prestigious awards including the Padma Bhushan, which is the third highest civilian award in India, and the Sangeet Natak Academy, which is given by the Indian National Academy for music, dance and drama, her mastery over vocal techniques and complicated styles makes her one of the most sought after artists. Her authentic renditions of “krithis” and refined elaborations of “raagas”, the élan with which she breezes through the “kalpana swaras”, her command over the octaves and her supremely confident stage presence combined with unstated humility has given her an enviable pre-eminence in the world of carnatic music. 

Violin: 
Universally acclaimed as a violinist with extraordinary bowing quality and remarkably sweet playing, Embar Kannan has a style marked by clarity, soulfulness and energy. Kannan’s violin techniques have often been compared to the grace and ease of ballet dancers, with his fingers gliding over the fingerboard.  

Mridangam: 
A disciple of Padma Vibhushan, Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr. Umayalpuram K Sivaraman, NC Bharadwaj is a percussionist extraordinaire who is known for his intuitive "Laya" or sense of rhythm. He accentuates the concert with the right degree of precision and elan, and is known to complement the song based on the presentation style of each vocalist.  

Presented by Shakti Classical Music Festival

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