Nirmala Rajasekar | |
---|---|
![]() This is a picture of Nirmala Rajasekar performing live in the prestigious Janaranjini Sabha in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu | |
Background information | |
Born | 11 December |
Origin | Chennai |
Genres | Carnatic, world music |
Occupations | Musician, composer, vocalist, vainika |
Instruments | Saraswati veena |
Labels | INNOVA |
Website | www.nirmalarajasekar.com |
Nirmala Rajasekar is a Carnatic Saraswati veena player, composer, vocalist, and educator. [1] One of the world's premier veena players, [2] Rajasekar has performed at Carnegie Hall, [3] the United Nations, [4] the Madras Music Academy, Narada Gana Sabha, [4] [5] Sawai Gandharva Festival, [3] and the Konya International Mystic Music Festival. [4] Rajasekar is the current co-chair of the American Composers Forum. [6]
Nirmala Rajasekar began her training in the Saraswati veena at the age of 6 in Chennai [7] with Sri Deva Kottai Narayana Iyengar and Smt. Kamala Aswathama, [8] the mother of Smt. E. Gayathri. After moving to Bangalore, she studied at the Gana Mandira School in Basavangudi with Smt. G Chennama and Smt. E. P. Alamelu. [9] [8] Rajasekar also received guidance from violinist Sri A.D. Zachariah [8] and Veena Sri S. Balachander. [8]
Rajasekar began her career as a soloist at the age of 13. [10] [11] [12] Upon returning to Chennai, Rajasekar came under the tutelage of Saraswati veena player Smt. Kalpakam Swaminathan, with whom she trained for nearly thirty years. [8] [13] Through Swaminathan, Rajasekar is part of the Dikshitar shisya parampara. [14] In Chennai and Delhi, Rajasekar studied Carnatic vocal music with Sri B. Sitarama Sarma and Prof T.R. Subramaniam, [15] receiving a Government of India scholarship to study with the latter. [8]
Nirmala Rajasekar has been performing and composing for over forty years. [16] In her career, Rajasekar performs traditional Carnatic repertoire as a Saraswati veena exponent [1] [7] [8] [12] and creates contemporary works through compositions and collaborations. [7] [11] [16] In 2020, Rajasekar was the annual Commissioned Composer of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, the longest-running program of its kind in the United States. [16] [17] Past composers include Pauline Oliveros, Morton Feldman, John Cage, Jennifer Higdon, and Julia Wolfe. [17]
In 2007, Rajasekar's album Song of the Veena was released by Innova Recordings, [18] and in 2010, Innova released her album Into the Raga. [19] Rajasekar's third album with Innova, a collaborative world music album called Maithree: The Music of Friendship, was released in 2018. [20] [11] The album was reviewed by Songlines, [21] WNYC New Sounds, and Jazz Weekly. [20] Other albums include Sudha Saagara, released by Charsur Digital Workstation, [22] and Melodic Expressions. [23]
Rajasekar has collaborated with artists including Pt. Ronu Majumdar, [5] Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya, [24] Pt. Gaurav Majumdar, [25] Sri Mysore Manjunath, [5] Sounds of Blackness, [2] Gao Hong, [26] Anthony Cox, [3] and poet Robert Bly. [27]
Rajasekar is an A-Grade artist of All-India Radio, [28] [9] and has appeared on Australian Broadcasting Corporation, [29] British Broadcasting Company, [2] and Doordarshan Television. [28] Since 1989, Rajasekar has been a performing artist for the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. [28] Rajasekar has been featured at the National Music Museum [2] and the "Beyond Bollywood" exhibit presented by the Minnesota Historical Society and the Smithsonian Institution. [30]
Since 1995, Rajasekar has lived in Minnesota, USA, [7] [11] touring several months each year to countries such as India, [7] Turkey, [4] Australia, [29] New Zealand, and Singapore. [28] Rajasekar's daughter and student, Shruthi Rajasekar, is a composer and vocalist. [3] [10]
Nirmala Rajasekar is the founder and artistic director of the Naadha Rasa Center for Music, [9] [27] [4] and was recognized with the Prof. T.R. Subrahmanyam Teaching Award by the Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival. [31] She is also a COMPAS teaching artist. [1] Rajasekar currently serves as the co-chair of the Board of the American Composers Forum [6] [32] and the Vice President of the Global Carnatic Musicians Association. [33] [3]
Nirmala Rajasekar | |
---|---|
![]() This is a picture of Nirmala Rajasekar performing live in the prestigious Janaranjini Sabha in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu | |
Background information | |
Born | 11 December |
Origin | Chennai |
Genres | Carnatic, world music |
Occupations | Musician, composer, vocalist, vainika |
Instruments | Saraswati veena |
Labels | INNOVA |
Website | www.nirmalarajasekar.com |
Nirmala Rajasekar is a Carnatic Saraswati veena player, composer, vocalist, and educator. [1] One of the world's premier veena players, [2] Rajasekar has performed at Carnegie Hall, [3] the United Nations, [4] the Madras Music Academy, Narada Gana Sabha, [4] [5] Sawai Gandharva Festival, [3] and the Konya International Mystic Music Festival. [4] Rajasekar is the current co-chair of the American Composers Forum. [6]
Nirmala Rajasekar began her training in the Saraswati veena at the age of 6 in Chennai [7] with Sri Deva Kottai Narayana Iyengar and Smt. Kamala Aswathama, [8] the mother of Smt. E. Gayathri. After moving to Bangalore, she studied at the Gana Mandira School in Basavangudi with Smt. G Chennama and Smt. E. P. Alamelu. [9] [8] Rajasekar also received guidance from violinist Sri A.D. Zachariah [8] and Veena Sri S. Balachander. [8]
Rajasekar began her career as a soloist at the age of 13. [10] [11] [12] Upon returning to Chennai, Rajasekar came under the tutelage of Saraswati veena player Smt. Kalpakam Swaminathan, with whom she trained for nearly thirty years. [8] [13] Through Swaminathan, Rajasekar is part of the Dikshitar shisya parampara. [14] In Chennai and Delhi, Rajasekar studied Carnatic vocal music with Sri B. Sitarama Sarma and Prof T.R. Subramaniam, [15] receiving a Government of India scholarship to study with the latter. [8]
Nirmala Rajasekar has been performing and composing for over forty years. [16] In her career, Rajasekar performs traditional Carnatic repertoire as a Saraswati veena exponent [1] [7] [8] [12] and creates contemporary works through compositions and collaborations. [7] [11] [16] In 2020, Rajasekar was the annual Commissioned Composer of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, the longest-running program of its kind in the United States. [16] [17] Past composers include Pauline Oliveros, Morton Feldman, John Cage, Jennifer Higdon, and Julia Wolfe. [17]
In 2007, Rajasekar's album Song of the Veena was released by Innova Recordings, [18] and in 2010, Innova released her album Into the Raga. [19] Rajasekar's third album with Innova, a collaborative world music album called Maithree: The Music of Friendship, was released in 2018. [20] [11] The album was reviewed by Songlines, [21] WNYC New Sounds, and Jazz Weekly. [20] Other albums include Sudha Saagara, released by Charsur Digital Workstation, [22] and Melodic Expressions. [23]
Rajasekar has collaborated with artists including Pt. Ronu Majumdar, [5] Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya, [24] Pt. Gaurav Majumdar, [25] Sri Mysore Manjunath, [5] Sounds of Blackness, [2] Gao Hong, [26] Anthony Cox, [3] and poet Robert Bly. [27]
Rajasekar is an A-Grade artist of All-India Radio, [28] [9] and has appeared on Australian Broadcasting Corporation, [29] British Broadcasting Company, [2] and Doordarshan Television. [28] Since 1989, Rajasekar has been a performing artist for the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. [28] Rajasekar has been featured at the National Music Museum [2] and the "Beyond Bollywood" exhibit presented by the Minnesota Historical Society and the Smithsonian Institution. [30]
Since 1995, Rajasekar has lived in Minnesota, USA, [7] [11] touring several months each year to countries such as India, [7] Turkey, [4] Australia, [29] New Zealand, and Singapore. [28] Rajasekar's daughter and student, Shruthi Rajasekar, is a composer and vocalist. [3] [10]
Nirmala Rajasekar is the founder and artistic director of the Naadha Rasa Center for Music, [9] [27] [4] and was recognized with the Prof. T.R. Subrahmanyam Teaching Award by the Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival. [31] She is also a COMPAS teaching artist. [1] Rajasekar currently serves as the co-chair of the Board of the American Composers Forum [6] [32] and the Vice President of the Global Carnatic Musicians Association. [33] [3]