Sugandha Kalamegham

	A recipient of the prestigious Govt. of India Scholarship for classical music, Sugandha Kalamegham’s early musical tutelage was undertaken by eminent vidwans Sri. Kadayam Krishnamurthy and Sri. Madhirimangalam Ramachandran in New Delhi. Simultaneously she pursued formal training in Hindhusthani music as well at the Gandharva Maha Vidhyalaya in Delhi. This formal understanding of both genres of Indian classical music has enriched Sungandha’s interpretation of the Carnatic idiom. After moving to Chennai, Sugandha pursued advanced training under Vidwan Sri. T.K.Govinda Rao and Sri. Sandhyavandanam Srinivasa Rao. Sugandha is an A-top (the highest grade level) artiste of All India Radio and has performed extensively on AIR and Doordarshan. She was a member of the Cultural Committee of the 12th Planning Commision, Government of India (2001-02), and she has been recently appointed to the Senate of the Music Department of Annamalai University in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu.

	Brought up in a musical environment, Raman Iyer has shown a deep interest in music and Violin in particular at a very early age. He began learning violin at the age of six under the tutelage of Sri. Nedumangad Shivanandan for nearly 10 years. Simultaneously he underwent vocal training primarily from his parents, Smt. Valli and Sri. Mahadeva Iyer. He underwent brief vocal training with Sri. Ochira Balakrishnan as well. The turning point in his musical career came when he was fortunate to have a short stint with the violin virtuoso, Dr. L. Subramaniam during the mid-nineties. This has immensely helped Raman to refine his bowing and fingering techniques. With strong foundation in violin technique and music in general, Raman strives to create his own unique style imbibing the best from great masters. He continues to pursue his musical aesthetics and training and is currently guided by Smt. Sreevidhya Chandramouli, the great grand daughter of the Veena Maestro, Karaikudi Subbarama Iyer.

	Lakshman is a senior disciple of Sri T.R. Rajamani, son of the legendary Palghat Mani Iyer. An uncompromising reverence and adherence to the tradition set by Sri Palghat Mani Iyer, has helped Lakshman blossom into one of the most promising and articulate mridangam players of the current generation, having imbued the authentic carnatic tradition in both accompaniment and solo playing. Lakshman has accompanied top musicians like Dr. L. Subramaniam, Dr. T.R. Subramaniam and Prasanna. He is a graded artist of All India Radio and has performed in many venues in India, Europe and the United States. Lakshman works for FedEx as a Senior System Architect in Memphis teaches mridangam to students and continues to accompany several top artists from the Indian classical Carnatic world.

	Dr. Ravi Balasubramanian is the most sought-after Ghatam artiste in North America and is known for his energetic and sensitive accompaniment and solos. Ravi has extensive experience in Carnatic percussion, including performing on the Ghatam at top musical institutions such as the Chennai Music Academy and the Cleveland Aradhana for over fourteen years. He received the title Yuva Kala Bharathi in 2003 from Bharat Kalachar, a music organization in Chennai, for excellence and dedication in the art of Ghatam. Ravi has had the rare honor and experience of performing with leading artistes including Sangitha Kalanidhi vocalists, violinists, flautists, and mridangists in India, USA, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia. Ravi received his initial tutelage from Palghat Sri P. K. Sekar and Sangitha Kalanidhi Dr. T. K. Murthy and later pursued advanced training from Sri V. Suresh in Chennai, India. Ravi has given lecture-demonstrations on the Ghatam in the University of Pittsburgh, PA. He recently received his doctorate in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University and is a Research Associate in the University of Washington.