Website: www.geetharaja.com
PROFILE
GEETHA RAJA has established herself as a well known concert vocalist in South Indian classical music for two decades. She is an accomplished musician with Master’s degrees in Music and English.
MUSICAL EDUCATION
Geetha had her initial training in music from Sangita Kala Acharya Bombay Ramachandran and later was privileged to come under the tutelage of Sangita Kalanidhi T. Brinda from whom she imbibed a vast repertoire of classical compositions. She has also had specialised training under Sangita Kalanidhi, Padma Bhushan K.S. Narayanaswami and Padmashri Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan. Her performances include a wide selection from the krithis of Thyagaraja, Muthuswamy Dikshithar and Shyama Shastri, Tamil Krithis, padams, javalis, abhangs, bhajans and devarnamas.
CONCERT EXPERIENCE
Geetha has travelled extensively and presented concerts at important venues and festivals all over India and abroad. She has performed in Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S.A. and has explained Indian music through lecture demonstrations and conducted workshops in Europe and the U.S.A. The "Voices of Women" festival in Belgium, the Nehru Centre in London, Radio France in Paris and the Indo Austrian Association in Vienna are a few of the well known centres where she was invited to perform.
She has participated in the Smithsonian Institution's "Inspired by India" festival and in the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana in 2005 and 2012 and has performed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, in 2006.
In addition to her concert schedule in India and overseas, she performs regularly on radio and television as an "A" grade artiste of All India Radio, Chennai, and has been featured often in the National Programme and Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan of AIR.
Critics have commented on her resonant voice, fidelity to sruti and clarity of diction.
Geetha has given a number of jugalbandi programmes with Hindustani vocalist Sandhya Kathavate, emphasizing the similarities and contrasts in the Carnatic and Hindustani styles of music.
She has presented concerts and interviews in private television channels, lent her voice to dance drama recordings and written articles on music.
She has trained in playing the veena from Sangita Kalanidhi K.S. Narayanaswami.
TEACHING
Geetha is actively involved in teaching carnatic and devotional music to advanced learners of music through classes and the Internet. She firmly believes in the propagation of our rich musical heritage and engages herself wholeheartedly in this task. She has conducted special classes in padams and javalis under the auspices of the Music Academy, Chennai, from 2009 to 2011.
CASSETTES AND CDS
Geetha has sung for prominent recording companies - Sangeetha, HMV, Saregama, Amutham Music, Dreams Audio, Gitaa Cassettes and Kalavardhanis and released a number of cassettes and CDs.
Giri Trading Agency has brought out a double CD album in 2011 - entitled “Sri Bharati Tirtha Kavita Lahari” -Sanskrit compositions of the Sringeri Jagadguru, Sri Sharada Peetham, set to music by Sri Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan and rendered by Geetha Raja.
TITLES, AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
Appointed as Member of Audition Committee for carnatic classical and devotional music by All India Radio for two years - 2010