As a performer of South Indian Classical (Carnatic) vocal music, Rajeswari strives to balance both tradition and trend. As a teacher, she strives to impart this art form in all its purity to her students , but with a modern approach.
Rajeswari was introduced to music at early childhood by her mother Vijayam Ranganathan, who is a vainika. She began her formal music education at the age of seven, under the caring and nurturing tutelage of Prof. Sri M.A. Venugopal. In three years, Rajeswari won the Government of India National Talent Search Scholarship and pursued thirteen years of advanced training with the renowned teacher and scholar, Sangeetakalacharya Sri C.S. Krishna Iyer. At present, she continues to receive guidance from Padmabhushan Sri P. S. Narayanaswamy. Rajeswari had the opportunity to learn new repertoire with renowned musicians Sangeetakalacharya Sri Chingleput Ranganathan and Sangeetakalanidhi Smt. R. Vedavalli on various occasions.
Rajeswari has performed extensively in India, USA and the UK. Notable among the venues are All India Radio, December music festival (Chennai, India), Cleveland St. Tyagaraja Aradhana, Milapfest (UK).
Rajeswari's approach to music is based on the soul of the raga, with bhava and sahitya given utmost priority. She has received critical acclaim for her variety of repertoire and sensitive approach to rendering kritis. Her training with eminent teachers, coupled with a sincere and dedicated approach , has molded Rajeswari into a capable and sought after teacher.
At present, she resides in NJ, USA, where she teaches a select group of students.Many of her students have won top awards in prestigious competitions, and are upcoming concert artists.
UPCOMING CONCERTS:
Feb 28, 2012 Cornelia Street Cafe, NY, NY 8:30 pm
April 28, Siva Vishnu Temple, FL
RECENT CONCERTS:
May 21, 2011 Princeton Arts Council, Princeton, NJ 7-9 pm
May 19, 2011 Princeton Arts Council, Princeton, NJ (workshop) 6 pm
July 9, 2011 Balaji Temple, Aurora, IL 6:45 pm
July 10, 2011 Sri Rama Temple, Lemont, IL 7 pm
PAST CONCERTS:
INDIA:
Concerts during the December Music Season in Chennai at Mylapore Fine Arts, Kartik Fine Arts, Bharat kalachar, Nada Inbam, RR Sabha, Hamsadhwani and Perambur Sangeetha Sabha (1997 to present)
Concerts in Palakkad, Tiruvanantapuram, Cochin
USA:
Concerts in NY, NJ, PA, CT, CA, OH include organizations such as Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana, CMANA, IACRF, various organizations in each of these states
UK:
Milapfest, Manasamitra, Nehru Center, London Sivan Temple, Highgate Murugan Temple
" A well planned and executed concert, Rajeshwari's raga outline for Suruti and alapana for Purvikalyani brought out the essence of the raga in the first few phrases".....The Hindu on December 28th 2005
http://www.hindu.com/ms/2005/12/28/stories/2005122800220800.htm
"After a well-phased Bhairavi alapana without frills or gimmicks Rajeswari Satish sang Swati Tirunal's delightful "Janani Mamava" with emphasis on bhava and divinity, winning kudos from the discerning audience at Hamsadhwani....Rajeswari has a soft and sweet saariram..."
- KSR, The Hindu, August 2004
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2004/08/06/stories/2004080602400400.htm
"Rajeswari Satish, a US based pleasant voiced vocalist has recorded a compact disc.........The detailed Pantuvarali alapana is a convincing effort in terms of a graceful flow and melodic prayogas....."
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2001/11/09/stories/2001110901130900.htm
" Having learnt from an eminent musician like C.S. Krishna Iyer, in her concert she displayed commendable knowledge...."
Review in The Hindu December 25, 1998
"Rajeswari Satish sang a superb Sankarabharanamalapana for Tyagaraja's 'Endukupeddalavale buddhieeyavu with well executed neravals and swaras at Vedasastra Tatwarthamu telisi...."
Review in The Hindu December 24, 1999
"An Enlivening All-NRI concert"
Review in the Trinity Mirror Dec 12, 1999
"Manathai Magizhavaitha Isai"
Review in Dinamalar December 17, 1998
Prof. Sri M.A. Venugopal
Originally from the village of Manjapra near Palakkad, Kerala, Prof. Venugopal hailed from a family of impeccable musical credentials. His brother was Sri M.A. Kalyanakrishna Bhagavatar, a vainika and vocalist of great vidwat and repute. His sister Parvati Ammal and wife Smt. Janaki Venugopal are also fine musicians and teachers. In addition to his brother, Sri Venugopal studied under Semmangudi Sri Srinivasa Iyer, among other eminent teachers. He taught young students with extreme patience, striving for perfection. He had uncanny abilities to talk just the right way to children of all ages. He was a great human being who was greatly respected by anyone who came to know him. His sincerity was legendary.
He was professor at the Chembai Government Music College at Palakkad and also taught students at home. Rajeswari had the good fortune of learning from Sri and Smt Venugopal Venugopal for three years.
Sri C.S. Krishna Iyer
Sri C.S. Krishna Iyer was born in 1916, in Kalpathy, Palakkad. An eminent vocalist, composer, teacher and musicologist, he is one of the few great musicians who shunned the limelight and truly served the cause of music in many different ways. He was the disciple of musical giants like Ponnayya Pillai and T.S. Sabhesa Iyer.
Sri Krishna Iyer had immense knowledge of raga lakshanas and had lengthy discussions about this with his students as well as the experts committee at the Music Academy with equal interest. He was a great thinker and would share his musical thoughts with students for hours at a time. He would sometimes forget the time when he was involved in a lesson. Sri Krishna Iyer was the first principal of the Chembai Government Music College at Palakkad. He taught at the Swati Tirunal Music College in Tiruvanantapuram prior to this. He also taught many students at his residence in Kalpathy where he lived until his demise in 1999.
Sri Krishna Iyer was the first guru of Sri K.V.Narayanaswamy before the latter came under Sri Ariyakudi's tutelage. Sri KVN had tremendous respect for Sri Krishna Iyer throughout his life and would sing his compositions like "Mohanamuraleedhari" regularly in his concerts.
Sri Krishna Iyer has composed a few beautiful kritis like Ganesa in Gambheeranattai , Mohanamuraleedhari in Mohanam , Ambike Jagadambike in Reetigowlai and Varumo nin karunakataksham in Saranga , all in Malayalam. He was specially chosen by Sri Semmangudi as one of the tunesmiths for Swati Tirunal's compositions.
He composed many beautiful sangatis for the compositions of the Trinity too, and students would be asked to "polish" the kritis until they shone.
Recognition was late to come by but it did, in the form of the title "Sangeetakalacharya" from the Madras Music Academy and the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.
Rajeswari had the immense fortune of learning from Sri CSK for thirteen years .
Sri P.S. Narayanaswamy
He had his training under Tiruppambaram Somasundaram Pillai, Mudicondan Mani Iyer, Mudicondan Venkatrama Iyer and then gurukula vasam with Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer. A traditional musician of the Tanjavur style, he has given numerous concerts all over India with top accompanists. A recipient of the prestigious National award of Padmabhushan, he is one of the most sought after teachers today. He is a guru par excellence with a keen sense of giving the right amount of challenge to students,. A wonderful human being, with a down to earth personality, he is adored by his numerous students. He has an extensive repertoire and has set several verses to tune, among them are Ramalinga Adigar's Tiruvarutpas and Narayana Teerthar's verses from Krishna Leela Tarangini. Rajeswari is privileged to receive guidance from this eminent teacher.
Rajeswari Satish has been teaching Carnatic music since 1997. She has been a faculty member at the music department of the State University of New York, Purchase, NY (1999-2000), teaching a course on Indian music to music majors.
Besides her own daughters Shyamala Ramakrishna and Srinidhi Ramakrishna, Rajeswari has taught a number of private students, many of whom have won prestigious prizes in competitions. Some students are upcoming concert artists.
Born into a musical family, Shyamala exhibited signs of musical talent at a very young age. She has been singing from toddlerhood, and started learning Carnatic music formally around the age of four from her mother Rajeswari Satish.
Shyamala continues to learn from Rajeswari. She receives guidance from Sri Neyveli Santhanagopalan and Sri P.S. Narayanaswamy whenever possible. Shyamala had the opportunity to learn some kritis from Smt R. Vedavalli during the vidushi's US visit. She receives guidance in laya aspects form Sri Ramachandran Suresh of New Jersey.
Shyamala has been learning Western violin since the age of three and is a first violin member of her school's chamber orchestra. Her interests include singing other genres of music, composing music, politics and reading.
SHYAMALA RAMAKRISHNA – List of prizes and awards
Winner of the Carnatic Idol USA 2011 Award (Jaya TV and Maximum Media)
First prize in Concert Competition, Cleveland Aradhana – 2010
First place in CMANA Great Composers Day Advanced category - 2009
First prize in kriti rendition, Cleveland Aradhana - 2002, 2003, 2005
First prize in raga alapana, Cleveland Aradhana - 2008
First prize in swara kalpana, Cleveland Aradhana - 2006
Second prize in 2006, Cleveland Aradhana
Second prize in 2007, Cleveland Aradhana
Third prize in 2006, Cleveland Aradhana
Third prize in kriti - 2008, Cleveland Aradhana
First in CMANA Talent Search Competition, 2008
First in Viruttham, third in concert competition, 2009 Cleveland Aradhana
First prize in CMANA Great Composers day - Juniors - 2001 and 2002
Second Prize in Advanced Category CMANA GCD - 2008
SHYAMALA RAMAKRISHNA
SVBF Stroudsburg, PA - April 15 2 pm
Montreal Tyagaraja Aradhana - May 20
Fundraising concert in NJ with Shri Vittal Ramamurthy and Shri Poovalur Sriji – Sep 11, 2011
Cleveland Aradhana, accompanied by Ms. Amritha Murali & Sri Tiruvarur Vaidyanathan - April 27, 2011
Concert at Ragasudha Hall, Chennai - December 31, 2010
Concert at Vipanchi, Chennai - December 25, 2010
Concert at Bridgewater Temple, NJ - December 12th 2010, as winner of Advanced catergory competition at CMANA.
Concert at Flushing Ganesha Temple, Queens, NY, Composers Day - May 1st 2010
Duet concert with Arthi Suresh at Yorktown, NY Tyagaraja Aradhana, May 9th 2009
Solo Concert at CMANA, NJ on May 2nd, 2009 (as winner of Talent Seacrh Competition)
Duet concert with Arthi Suresh - Purandaradasa Day, NJ - Feb 21, 2009
Solo concert at North Jersey Tyagaraja Aradhana, NJ - Jan 31
Solo concert at VDS Arts Academy, Chennai - December 19, 2008
Solo concert at Issai Mazhalai, BVB Chennai - December 20, 2008
Duet concert with Arthi Suresh, Hamsadhwani, Chennai - December 24, 2008
Duet concert with Arthi Suresh - IACRF NJ - October 12, 2008
Solo concert at VDS Arts Academy, Chennai - December 2007
Solo concert at Isai Mazhalai, Sakkarai Amman Koil, Chennai - December 2007
Vocal support for Rajeswari Satish concert at Leeds, UK - 2006
Concert at London Sivan Temple - 2004
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