Artists
Vocal
Dr. Vasu Iyengar
An accomplished Indian classical dancer and musician, Dr. Vasu Iyengar seamlessly balances both roles. He was trained in Bharatanatyam under the legendary Padma Vibhushan Guru Dr. Vyjayantimala Bali for over a decade and had his debut performance, Arangetram, under her guidance in 1996.
In addition to Bharatanatyam, he has also trained in Kathakali under Padmashri awardee Guru Sadanam Sh. Balakrishnan and in Chhau under Padmashri awardee Guru Sh. Shashadhar Acharya.
Dr. Vasu earned his Doctoral Degree in Carnatic Music from Delhi University under the mentorship of Prof. Dr. Radha Venkatachalam in 2013. His artistic journey and research continue under the guidance of Guru Smt. Kamalini Nagarajan Dutt, an ex-Director of Doordarshan and an accomplished classical dancer.
Scholars and critics alike have praised Dr. Vasu's art and his ability to translate his research into his craft. One of his unique features is his ability to sing while performing Abhinaya, showcasing intense Abhinaya, striking footwork, and quintessential characterization.
HAMSINI Center
In 2003, Dr. Vasu Iyengar founded the HAMSINI Center in Delhi, where he imparts training in Indian classical dance and music to passionate students both in India and abroad. His artistic accomplishments have taken him to various countries as a performer, scholar, educator, and art proponent. He has conducted numerous workshops, lecture demonstrations, and art discussions globally, and is a sought-after musician and composer for esteemed classical dancers. Over the past decade, he has delivered many workshops and lecture-demonstrations for SPIC MACAY.
Violin
Anuradha Sridhar
Anuradha Sridhar, violinist, vocalist and composer has been an active ambassador of Carnatic music in the Bay Area, CA for the past four decades.
Anuradha’s (Anu) family of legendary musicians can trace back their roots to Tyagaraja himself. Her great-great-grandfather, Lalgudi Ramayyar, was a direct disciple of Saint Tyagaraja.
Anu was trained in music by her mother, Lalgudi Srimathi Brahmanandam, the ingenious violinist and sister of the legendary Lalgudi G. Jayaraman. As a soloist, Anu, with her guru, has performed in various prestigious venues around the world. As a reputed accompanist, Anuradha has accompanied many stalwart musicians of carnatic music in several concerts over the years.
In the last three and a half decades of living in the Bay area, Anu has enjoyed a myriad of musical forays both in the Indian and the mainstream world. Ever challenged by a technically demanding repertoire, Anu has ventured into thematic concerts that require painstaking research; she thrives on unearthing complicated rhythm structures, rare ragas and forgotten compositions.
Anu is actively involved in promoting the cause of Carnatic Music. She has volunteered her skill for community fundraiser shows for organizations such as Asha, Sankara Eye Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya, SwayamKrushi, Iskcon, Livermore Temple and Chinmaya Mission and Sewa International to name a few. Anu has collaborated with musicians from other genres in the Pan Asian Music Festival hosted by Stanford University and the San Francisco World Music. She has choreographed and performed "Vadhya Vrindha" - a musical ensemble of various South Indian classical instruments involving many local bay area artistes. She is an “A Top” artist of the Indian Doordharshan.
Anu has been recognized many times by leading organisations like the Madras Music Academy for her outstanding performances during the December music season in Chennai.
Anu has nurtured many young talents who are high calibre performers today. She proudly celebrates the 36th anniversary of Trinity Center for Music, a music school she established in 1989 in the Bay Area. In 2025 Anu completes 50 glorious years as a performing artist.
Mrudangam
Shri. Ravindra Bharathy Sridharan
Hailing from the well-known Embar family, Ravindra Bharathy Sridharan has been a performer for 42 years, accompanying many leading musicians both in US and India, in both music and dance.
Ravi has been sought after mridangam guru, teaching this divine art form with great dedication and passion for the past 24 years.
Nadhopasana Academy of Fine Arts
Ravi is the founder director of percussion school Nadhopasana Academy Of Fine Arts, where he nurtures the next generation young talents, who are in turn, sought after accompanists both in US and India.
Ravi is also known to be a community unifier and a key organizer in the Bay Area, who enjoys bringing the music and dance community together for various initiatives and through his non- profit Guruvaram Performing Arts organization.
Ravi is one of the prime disciple of Vidwan Sri Neyveli Narayanan.
Ravi has been a recipient of many awards. Sangeetha Seva Puruskar award by Kalalaya in 2017. Prof. T. R. Subrahmanyam Award by the prestigious Cleveland Aaradhana in 2023 for Best Teacher award.
In January 2024, he received award from Neelakanta Sivan Academy for his decades of service in propagating Carnatic music in the United States.
Recently , he was awarded the title ' Kala Shiromani' from Kalanjali , for his contributions to Indian Classical Dance in the Bay Area.
Flute
Amshu Murthy
Amshu Murthy started learning flute at age 8 under Vid Deshikachar (brother of Vid Doreswamy Iyengar) and later had his training under Vid A V Prakash in Mysuru. After moving to USA, he continued to train under Vid K R Subramanyam (senior disciple of Dr N Ramani) and has learnt from Dr N Ramani himself. He has given many concerts in San Diego and Mysuru including the Indian Fine Arts Association of San Diego and has accompanied accomplished vocalists in numerous Bharatnatyam performances. He also teaches kids in San Diego many of whom have won first prizes in prestigious competitions like Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana and Saptami Foundation and also performed at the December Chennai Music Academy festival.
