The Nateschwara Academy is pleased to present this special vocal concert. Smt. Girija Ravishankar will give a comprehensive Carnatic concert, featuring a variety of Kritis (compositions) of different composers. It will include compositions dedicated to the Devi as part of the Navaratri celebration. Navaratri, also known as Dasara, is a festival spanning nine days, devoted to various manifestations of the Devi. The pièce de résistance of her performance will be rendition of a Ragam Tanam Pallavi. This is an impromptu presentation – an exercise in Manodharma, showcasing the different improvisational facets of Carnatic Music in melody as well as in rhythm.
Raagam Taanam Pallavi is the heart of Carnatic music and a real gem among all forms presented in a music concert. It is on the spot created and improvised music within the confines of strict grammar of Indian music. It is not only a challenge for the singer, but also for the instrumentalist and the percussionist. In the item a Pallavi text line from the charana portion of a kritis is rendered, which includes Taanam, Neraval (variation improvisation) and Kalpana Swaras (melodic improvisation), covering all the facets of Manodharma Sangeeta. Neraval, or sahitya vinyasa, is the elaboration and improvisation of a melody for this specific line which is sung repeatedly with improvised elaborations )This challenging intricate rendering cannot be experienced in every concert – a highlight indeed in the Indian music concert.
Vidushi Girija Ravishankar
Girija was initiated into Carnatic classical music by her mother Vidushi Sharada Ravishankar at the age of three. She continued her training with Dr. R N Sreelatha, principal and professor of Carnatic music , the College of Fine arts , Mysore. Since past 15 years, she has been under the tutelage of Padma Shri awardee, Sangeeta Kala Acharya, Rudrapatnam N.Thyagarajan (elder of the Rudrapatnam brothers). Girija debuted as a full fledged concert artiste at the age of 13. Since then she has performed in numerous venues in India, the US, Germany and Switzerland. Recent noteworthy concerts include those at Madhuradhwani – Arkay Convention Center, Chennai,Bidaram Krishnappa Rama Mandira, Mysuru, the Hindu temple, Los Angeles, Nadabrahma Sangeeta Sabha, Mysuru, Museum Rietberg, Zürich. Since her early school days, Girija has participated in many state and national level competitions and won innumerable prizes. At the age of 20, she won a Tambura as the first prize in an extempore Ragam Tanam Pallavi competition. The same year, she passed the Vidwath (proficiency level – equivalent to M.A in music ) Exam in Carnatic vocal with high distinction. Girija has been conferred “Yuva Pratibha Puraskara” from the state government of Karnataka in recognition of youth talent in 2007. The same year, she was awarded “Yuvasiri” from Kalapratisthana , Gadag. In 2011, she was honored with the title “Nadasaraswati” by Samarpana Educational and Cultural Center , Bengaluru. Girija’s music focuses on the Manodharma aspects of Carnatic classical music. Also a trained violinist and Bharatanayam danseuse, she has collaborated with artistes of other genres such as Hindustani classical, Jazz and Arabic music. She is a computational neuroscientist by training and works as a data science leader in a bank in Zurich.
Jeysri Balaji
Ms. Jeysri Balaji has been learning Carnatic vocal and violin under the guidance of Sangeetha Kalanidhi, Kalaimaamani Smt. Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi for over 14 years . Jeysri is currently pursuing studies in Germany. She has won many music competitions, and has performed many concerts in India and in Germany. She has also performed in various online platforms hosted from different countries. She is a representative of Hinduism at the Department of Social & Inter-religious Engagement in Ludwigsburg, Germany for the past 6 years. Besides being a Carnatic vocalist and violinist, Jeysri is a grade 6 Western violinist and grade 4 keyboard player from the Trinity School of London. Additionally, she has accompanied on several international award-winning compositions.
S.G. Balakrishna
Shri Balakrishna began his musical journey at the age of 8 under the tutelage of his father, Vidwan Soorali R. Ganeshmurthy. He later learned from the mridangam virtuoso Kalaimamani Sri Srimushnam Raja Rao. Shri Balakrishna has performed in Madras on prestigious stages such as Narada Gana Sabha and Krishna Gana Sabha. In 2011 he found his future musical home in Europe, where he began to work together with various Indian-Carnatic musicians. Shri Balakrishna holds a Ph.D. in physics and now lives in Germany. In Europe he has, among others, accompanied renowned artists such as the violinist Lalgudi GJR Krishna and the flutist B.V. Balasai on his Mridangam.
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