Vocal Recital By R Vedavalli At Vinjamuri Memorial Concerts

South Indian Cultural Association, Hyderabad, and Vinjamuri Trust are organizing the 2-day Vinjamuri Memorial Concerts on 21st and 22nd October, at Ravindra Bharathi. These concerts are held in the memory of the late 'Ganakalanidhi' Dr. Vinjamuri Varadaraja Iyengar.

Hailing from Guntur district, Sri Varadaraja Iyengar was a musician, musicologist and composer, who belonged to the Sishyaparampara of Saint Thyagaraja. He was with AIR, Chennai and Hyderabad, and was instrumental in propagating Bhakthi Music over AIR.

Sri Varadaraja Iyengar was conferred with the title 'Ganakalanidhi' in 1958. He was also closely associated wth the South Indian Cultural Association (SICA), Hyderabad, and was its Vice President for some time. Ever since his demise in 1991, SICA has been organizing the 'Vinjamuri Memorial Concerts' annually, jointly with the Vinjamuri Trust.

On 21st October, the first day of the festival, 'Sangeeta Kalanidhi' R. Vedavalli will present a Carnatic vocal recital. She will be accompanied by Charulatha Ramanujam on the violin, and K Shiva Kumar on the mridangam.

R. Vedavalli's early training was under Sangeeta Kalanidhi Madurai Srirangam Iyengar. Later she came under the tutelage of Sangeeta Kalanidhi Mudicondan Venkatarama Iyer. Scholarships and fellowships have taken her to specialist musicians like T. Mukta as well.

Having graduated in music from the University of Madras, Vedavalli is also a musicologist, and she conducts lectures and demonstrations at music festivals. She was a professor, till recently, at the Tamilnadu Government College of Music. She is a member of the Experts’ Committee of Music Academy, Madras, and has conducted several workshops and seminars, and authored papers in professional journals.

She is among the select few senior vidwans chosen by the Government of India to train young musicians under the Cultural Scholarship Scheme. She has also been assisting the Sangeet Natak Academy as co-ordinator for their archival recordings of vidwans of South India.

She has been awarded the senior fellowship for research in music by the Government of India, and the Sangeet Natak Academy Fellowship for specialisation in music, and is also a top graded artist at All India Radio. The titles awarded to her include Divya Gana Pravina, Sangeeta Choodamani, Kalaimamani, Sangeeta Ratnakara and Gayaka Kula Tilaka Kalpalata. She is one of few women to have been conferred with the title of Sangeetha Kalanidhi.

Please contact R. Chakrapani at 2742-5374 / 94408-84863 for further details.