Innovative musician energies Carnatic format

Venkat Raman –

Indian Classical Music enthusiasts in general and Carnatic Music lovers in particular can expect to experience rejuvenation of the mind and spirit as a young singer presents his Concert in major cities next weekend.

Rithvik Raja, billed as an ‘energetic singer’ with ‘a voice that can reach height notes and low whispers carrying with it the nuances of Carnatic Music’ will perform in Auckland on April 23, 2016 at 530 pm at Raye Freedman Arts Centre, Epsom Girls Grammar School, Silver Street, Epsom; in Hamilton on April 24, 2016 at 4 pm at Sri Balaji Temple, 2 Kent Street, Frankton; and in Wellington on April 25, 2016 in Adam Concert Room, NZSM Kelburn Campus, Victoria University (Gate 7, Kelburn Parade).

The Concerts are organised by Rasikas NZ and Sangeetha Bharathi School of Music in Auckland; by Sri Balaji Temple Trust (Hamilton) in Hamilton; and by New Zealand Indian Fine Arts Society in Wellington.

Inspiring Series

The programme follows as a part of the ‘Emerging Masters’ series dedicated to upcoming artistes of proven proficiency in Carnatic Music.

“By happy augury, our journey in 2016 begins with a dynamic singer. Rithvik Raja energises Carnatic Music and evokes a volley of emotions among listeners. He is known for his solid voice with perfect pitch, mastery over laya and adherence to classicism.

“Rithvik will be accompanied by Parur M S Anantha Krishnan on the Violin and Sumesh Narayanan on the Mridangam,” Priya Srinivasan of Rasikas NZ said.

The Concert in Wellington will be held on Sunday, August 24 at 530 pm in the Adam

Concert Room, NZSM Kelburn Campus, Victoria University, Gate 7, Kelburn Parade. For more information, please contact Gayathri Dharmarajan on (04) 5502400 or Raghu Raman on (04) 9768687.

Tickets for the three concerts are now on sale.

Good beginning

Born in Chennai into a family that understands and appreciates Carnatic Music, Rithvik learnt the fine art from his mother Sudha Raja when he was five years old.

He was later trained by Sulochana Pattabhiraman and TM Krishna, two exponents of the Carnatic format.

His academic achievements are also impressive. His formative years were shaped at ‘Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School,’ a renowned educational institution based in Mylapore, Chennai, which helped him later to obtain his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College. He also completed a one-year Multimedia course from Image Infotainment, Alwarpet and is currently studying for a degree in Sound Engineering at SAE Institute of Technology.

Globetrotter enthralls

Rithvik has performed at major centres in India including Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. His overseas performances include Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka. His forthcoming tour is the first in New Zealand.

Apart from performances, he is President, Youth Association for Classical Music (YACM) which works to improve awareness of Classical Music among the younger members of the society.

He received several awards and citations given by organisations dedicated to music in Chennai.

For more information, including tickets, please see advertisement appearing on Page 30.

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Photo Caption:

Rithvik Raja (Centre) with Anantha Krishnan and Sumesh Narayanan