'Sthree' Thyagaraja Pancharathnam

Beginning the New Year on an auspicious note, about 60 Carnatic musicians were to get together on 1st January, 2012 morning for 'Mudhra' to perform the 'Sthree' Thyagaraja Pancharathnam.

"I call it Sthree because it's an all-women show and we will be singing in Sruthi 5 which is ideally suitable for women artists," says Dr.Radha Bhaskar, vocalist and treasurer of Mudhra, which is organising the programme for the third year in a row.

The show was slated to be held at the RKM School in T Nagar, and to feature women vocalists and accompanists on the mridangam, violin, flute, veena and tambura.

N S Rajam, 72-year-old mridangam artiste, says. "I have been performing for the past 55 years. Though I perform at concerts, this one is different because it is all about teamwork," she says.

You can contact Mudhra Bhaskar - 9840072821

The Aruna Sairam Show

Aruna Sairam has a huge fan following. There are rasikas who follow her to every concert she presents this season.

So, long before Aruna's concert began on Wednesday evening at the Music Academy there was a big buzz on this campus.

Tickets to seats in the balcony and on the ground floor had long been sold out. But the determined few who queued up at the box office counter an hour before the 4.15 pm concert managed to get the pink tickets for fifty rupees which let them pack into the mini hall where a LCD screen beamed the concert and another lot squeezed on to the dais where at least 70 people sat around the musicians that evening.

Ticketholders too had to come early to find smooth passage into the auditorium and as Aruna launched into her first piece, extra chairs had to be sent into the hall to accommodate rasikas.

Aruna's concert was the opening show at Kalakshetra last week - all 600 seats were taken.

The photos here, taken by R. Saravanan capture the mood of Aruna's Academy concert on Dec.28.

Tamil Isai Festival

Sunil Gargyan and Sweta Balasubramanaian were the proud winners of the two prized tamburas that are given away at the opening evening of the fest at Mylapore Fine Arts Club (MFAC), Mylapore.

Lots of teenagers are awarded prizes at this event, for winning various music contests but the tambura winners standout often because they excel in more than one contest.

Tambaram-based Sunil, now in Class 12 at a Chrompet school now studies under guru P. S. Narayanaswamy for the past three years and has been presenting small concerts.

He won the MFAC tambura prize for excelling in Purandaradasa kritis but also impressed in the Shyama Sastri and Papanasam Sivan kritis singing contest.

Sweta Balasubramanian is from Nanganallur, studies in Class 12 in the area and learns under guru Madipakkam V. Umashankar.

She also attends the music school at Narada Gana Sabha.

Sweta won the tambura for excelling in the Thyagaraja kritis contest at MFAC. She has won loads of prizes in contests held at other sabhas this season and has begun presenting small concerts.

Both youngsters were happy to receive the tambura in the presence of vocalist Aruna Sairam that Sunday evening.

Festival of Parallels

In an effort to present different worldviews in music to the already vibrant December festival in Chennai, the "Festival of Parallels" has been curated to bring musicians together in conversations and performances that attempt to compare different... forms of classical music. In these lecture-concerts, well-known musicians, Anil Srinivasan, P Unnikrishnan, Sikkil Gurucharan and Lalgudi GJR Krishnan will compare and contrast classical composers from across cultures while highlighting their talks with pieces chosen from a varied repertoire.

The festival is spread across three days:

DAY 1

Date: December 24th, 2011

Artiste: Anil Srinivasan and Lalgudi G J R Krishnan

Venue: Spaces

Time: 8 - 9.30 AM

Presented by Kalakendra in association with: Consulate General Of The United States and Spaces

DAY 2

Date: December 28, 2011

Artiste: Anil Srinivasan and P Unnikrishnan

Venue: Kalakshetra

Time: 10-11:30 AM

Presented by Kalakendra in association with: Kalakshetra and Alliance Francaise

DAY 3

Date: January 2, 2012

Artiste: Anil Srinivasan and Sikkil Gurucharan

Venue: MCTM Chidambaram Chettyar IB School

Time: 6-7:30 PM

Presented by Kalakendra in association with: MCTM Chidambaram Chettyar International School

For all those who have a keen interest in music, this is a nice opportunity to rejuvenate your senses with various forms of music from across the globe, presented by some of the eminent artistes’ of the city with presence across the world.

The Specials at Mudhra's Fest

This is what is special at Mudhra’s 17^th Fine Arts Festival to be held at the RKM Hall, T. Nagar this 'season'.

1. 17^th December : Raga Vaibhavam – a thematic concert by Dr.Radha Bhaskar highlighting the beauty of ragas in Karnatic Music

2. 20^th December : Sankeertanamum Sangeethamum - by Udayalur Kalyanaraman & Dr.R.Ganesh – an innovative concept highlighting the salient features of both art forms.

3. 18th, 24th & 25th December : Talent promotion concerts – thematic performances by promising young musicians.

4. 31^st Dec. : Music Appreciation Programme by O.S.Thiagarajan & Dr.Radha Bhaskar

5. 1^st January 2012 - Sthree Thyagaraja Pancharathnam – Sruti 5 – a grand Pancharathnam singing by 60 women artists

6. 8^th January – 5 p.m to 9 p.m : Special Four Hour Concert by Madurai T.N.Seshagopalan

Trichy J. Venkatraman: lec-dem and award

SRI PARTHASARATHY SWAMI SABHA in Chennai which is celebrating its 111^th year – December Music Festival – from 15-12-2011 to 3-1-2012, at Vidya Bharathi, Bheema Sena Garden Road, Mylapore has a few special events in that schedule.

During the festival's morning session, the Sabha will honor Trichy J. Venkatraman, with the title "Nadha Yogi" on Dec.18, Sunday at 9.30 a.m. for his long years of contribution to Carnatic music. Trichy J. Venkatraman will give a Lecture Demonstration at 8.30 a.m., on the Topic "Pallavi in Shanmugapriya Tisra Triputa, Chatursra Nadai."

M. Krishnamurthy, Hony. Secretary says the award function will follow the vidwan's lecture. Mohan Parasaran will confer the title on Venkatraman.

The event is open to all.

Parthasarathy Swami Sabha Fest opens on Dec.15

Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, now in its 111th year is hosting the December Music Festival ( Isai Vizha ) from 15-12-2011 to 3-1-2012, at Vidya Bharathi, 55 Bheema Sena Garden Road, Mylapore.

The 20 day long festival will present more than 100 programmes of music.

The festival will be inaugurated on 15-12-2011 at 6.00 p.m. by Tirumala Tirupathi Ilayakoil Kelvi Appan Sri GOVINDA RAMANUJA CHINNA JEER SWAMIGAL and the swamiji confers the title "Sangeetha Kalasarathy" on vidhushi S. SOWMYA, the celebrated vocalist.

This award carries a cash prize of Rupees one lakh (Cash Award from the endowment created by P. Vijayakumar Reddy and Preetha Reddy) and a gold medal.

Palghat Mani Iyer Centenary Award will be presented to violin maestro Prof. T.N. KRISHNAN. ( from the endowment created by Nithyashree Mahadevan ) and Dr. M.L.V. Award will be presented to Prasanna Venkatraman, ( from the endowment created by Sudha Raghunathan).

Dr. Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti presides over the function. Geetha Ramanathan Bennett offers felicitations. Dr. Nithyashree Mahadevan lights the kuthuvilakku.

The inaugural function will be followed by a violin concert by Prof. T.N. Krishnan. The series includes lecture demonstration session in the morning daily.

Young artistes get top billing at The Music Academy

Season's music fest here starts on December 15

The 85th Conference of The Music Academy will be inaugurated on December 15 with the traditional nadaswaram, formal ceremony and a concert by the veteran R. Vedavalli, a Sangita Kalanidhi awardee.

The academic sessions, to be held in the renovated smaller hall will start on Dec.16 morning.

While the well known names in Carnatic music, from Aruna Sairam and Sudha Ragunathan to Bombay Jayashri and T. M. Krishna are starred in the evening concert slots, opportunities have been provided to the young who have been making a mark.

Sakeetharaman and T N S Krishna get top billing in the evening, when rasikas often enjoy a double concert package while Sri Ranjani Santhanagopalan will perform in the morning, with her father, Neyveli Santhanagopalan starred for the top morning slot.

Manda Sudharani and Pantula Rama are also billed in the top slots.