Venkat Raman
Young Aucklander Avinash Jeyashankar will do his parents, teachers and peers proud as he presents his Mridangam Arangetram at Dorothy Winstone Centre, Auckland Girls Grammar School on Saturday, March 24, 2018.
The Programme, by invitation only, will begin at 5 pm (seating by 445 pm) with traditional Pooja.
Mridangam is a powerful but challenging percussion instrument, demanding hours of training with dedication and discipline. It has long been the prerogative of South Indians, especially Tamil-speaking people.
Over the years, maestros from India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore and other countries where Tamil is widely spoken, have been imparting knowledge of the instrument and its playing to thousands of young aspirants.
Among them is Dr Suresh Ramachandra of the Temple of Fine Arts, New Zealand, under whose training, Avinash has honed his Mridangam skills.
The Arangetram will be dedicated to ‘Nandi,’ or ‘Nandikeswara,’ a companion of Lord Shiva, known as the Master of All Arts.
Flair for Rhythm
Avinash’s natural flair for rhythmic art forms and mental agility has enabled him to master the most complex patterns in rhythmic art. Through dedicated practice and perseverance, he has emerged as a performer with musical sensitivity and expansive improvisational capabilities. At his debut performance, he will be in concert with well-established Carnatic musicians from India.
Avinash’s passion for music has led him on many adventures, discovering the nuances and beauties that the different forms of music offer.
Born and raised in New Zealand, he has been exposed to many forms of Western and Eastern Music. He is proficient in piano, saxophone, clarinet, drums, and percussion.
Maintaining his cultural background, Avinash has learnt Carnatic Vocal, Violin Mridangam, as well as the Tabla.
Formative years
Avinash started his journey in the Classical art forms at the tender age of four and commenced learning Mridangam under the tutelage of Sathyanadhan.
He has been under the expert training of Dr Ramachandra when he was six years old.
Since then, Avinash has gained extremely valuable skills, knowledge, and experience on Mridangam and other forms of Classical music. He has completed all six stages on the percussion instrument, under the New Zealand Carnatic Music Society (NZCMS), receiving his Teacher’s grade diploma in April 2017.
Awards and Honours
He also received the ‘Nanilam Smt Thangam Narayanaswamy Award’ for All-Round Excellence in Stage 5. He has completed teacher’s grade Diploma at the Academy of Fine Arts, London, for vocal, and complete Grade 5 at NZCMS, where his passion for learning the Violin led him to complete the first three grades.
Western Music
Avinash’s keen interest in Western music has given him opportunities to be a part of the Orchestra at School, Concert Bands, Wind Orchestras and Choirs.
He has also played with the Auckland Symphony Orchestra in their ‘Film Classics Programme’, performing at various locations around the North Island.
He has completed Grade 4 on Piano at the Royal College of Music, London.
Literary and Cultural
Avinash has been involved in many extra-curricular activities, both in and out of school. He has completed Grade 8 (final grade) of Speech and Drama at Trinity College, London.
Communication Skills have helped him in debating over the past 7 years, representing his School.
About Dr Suresh Ramachandra
Dr Suresh Ramachandra learnt Mridangam under the late Kalasuri Guruvayoor K K Atchuthan of Sri Lanka. He also had the good fortune of enriching his knowledge in ‘Laya’ under the guidance of Kalaimamani Guruvayoor Dorai and Kalaimamani Mannargudi Easwaran.
Acclaimed for his sensitive accompaniment and manodharma, Dr Ramachandra has extensive concert experience, accompanying various artistes in Sri Lanka, India, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and New Zealand.
He is also trained in flute by Sangeetha Bhooshanam Valambikai Rajagopalan.
Dr Ramachandra is a musician at heart, Chartered Accountant by training and an academic by choice, currently employed at a New Zealand University.
