Thyagaraja Aradhana registration is now closed.

Sruti is pleased to kick start the Spring 2023 season with our customary Thyagaraja Aradhana.

Program Schedule:
8 AM – 8.15 AM : Pooja & Welcome
8.20 AM – 9 AM : Utsava Sampradaya Kritis Led by Dinakar Subramanian
9.05 AM – 9.15 AM : Chetulara Flute by Balachandar Krishnaraj
9.20 AM – 10. 20 AM : Pancharatna Kritis led by Smt Kiranavali Vidyasankar
10.20 AM – 10.30 AM : Break
10.30 AM – 12 PM : Individual & Group Singing – Morning Session
12 PM – 1 PM : Lunch/ Concert Set up
1 PM – 1.10 PM : Board Introduction
1.15 PM – 3.15 PM : Concert by Dr. R.Suryaprakash & Party
3.30 PM – 6.45 PM : Individual & Group Singing – Afternoon Session
7 PM : Mangala Arathi

Suggested Donation: $10 per person / $20 per family (includes lunch)

Covid guidelines

Please see guidelines below for registration for individual participation.

Individual Participation Guidelines:

• Registrations for individual participation will open at 9 am on Sunday, February 12, 2023.

• Individual and group participation is restricted to Thyagaraja Krithis only. A strict time limit of 5 minutes will be imposed. Each participant will be given only one slot – they can perform either as an individual or as part of a group. Participants that are both vocalist/instrumentalist can register for only one category. Accompanists will be allowed if they have their instruments tuned and ready beforehand. No time will be given to tune instruments on stage. 

• Please do not perform any Alapana, Niraval or Kalpana swarams. This restriction does not apply to Chittai Swarams in the composition. We’re trying

• Song provided during the registration CANNOT be changed for any reason.

• While registering please make sure the participants’ name and email are spelled correctly as they will be used in the certificates as entered.

• Priority of participant selection will be based on your 2023 sponsorship/membership status according to the following Priority levels until we reach a total of 50 slots. 

Priority 1: 2023 Sruti Adult Sponsors or family sponsors and groups with all participants being 2023 sponsors
Priority 2:  Groups with at least one Sruti 2023 sponsor and rest being life members
Priority 3:  Individual life member or groups with all life members
Priority 4: Groups with at least one life member with others being annual members

• The order of the participant performances will largely follow the same priority levels as above.

• Please note that for priority purposes, the participant needs to sign up for 2023 Sruti sponsorship or Life Membership before February 12, 2023, the registration date. The sponsorship sign up is open at the Membership page. 

• A confirmation email will be sent indicating the scheduled session of the participants in advance of the event.

• No phone call registrations will be accepted.

• Participants must be available to perform in the allotted slot. Participants must be present when their turn is announced, or they will be moved to the end of the session.

• We strongly encourage participants to attend the whole day including performance by the other participants and the main concert by Vidwan Dr. R.Suryaprakash accompanied by VIdwan Raghavendra Rao on the Violin and Viwan K H Vineeth on the Mridangam.

• For any questions, please email aradhana-registration@publications

Dr.R. Suryaprakash

A well acclaimed and widely travelled performing vocalist musician, scholar, composer, lyricist and guru in the sphere of Carnatic Music today, Kalaimamani Dr.R. Suryaprakash has carved a niche for himself in the hearts of audiences all over the globe, with his temple-bell like ringing voice that traverses three octaves and enthralling music. He had his musical foundation from the age of 7 from his uncle Tirukkodikaval Rajamani, a disciple of Pitamaha Semmangudi. He went on to receive advanced musical training from ‘Sangeetha Kalanidhi’ T V Sankaranarayanan, nephew and disciple of the legendary ‘Ganakaladhara’ Madurai Mani Iyer, for more than a decade. Dubbed by the well-known critic MVR as “traditional, yet original”, Suryaprakash has built his original musical edifice on the foundation of the great tradition of his Paramaguru Madurai Mani Iyer and the assimilated essence of the best of other traditions.

An “’A’” graded artiste by All India Radio, Chennai, Suryaprakash’s concert is a regular feature in all the sabhas during the December Music Season in Chennai and other major festivals in India and overseas including the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana, Festival of Asia, Melbourne, Thyagaraja Fest, Durban and Thyagaraja Fest, London, to name just a few. Several of his albums have been topping the charts and YouTube views. Suryaprakash has been recognised with many titles and awards, to name a very few, “Kalaimamani” from the Government of Tamil Nadu, “Gana Kala Vipanchee” from the legendary Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna and the “Best Concert” prize from the Madras Music Academy.

B V Raghavendra Rao (Violin)

Raghavendra Rao hails from a distinguished family of musicians. He was initiated into the niceties of music at an early age of seven by his father B.Sudarsana Rao.

Attracted by the lure of classical music from his childhood, he trained rigorously on the violin for several years and he is the disciple of the late violin “Maestro” Sangeetha Kalanidhi Shri.T.N.Krishnan.  Later he received invaluable guidance and concert experience from Dr.M.Balamuralikrishna, one of the greatest musicians India has produced in this century.

As a young artiste he received the appreciation of the President of India for accompanying the celebrated musical genius, and climbed the ladder of success as an accomplished, and one of the most popular violinists in the Carnatic music genre today. 

He has won several prizes and awards from various sabhas in Chennai and has participated in the prestigious Bharat Cultural Integration Committee’s (B.C.I.C) music festivals organized all over India.

Raghavendra Rao has performed internationally in numerous music festivals of I.C.C.R., and the prestigious “Festival of India” programs.  He has widely travelled all over the world, including the U.S.A, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius and the Middle Eastern countries.

K.H. Vineeth (Mridangam)

K.H. Vineeth is an AIR ‘A’ grade artist and a disciple of Vidwan.Palakkad Mahesh Kumar and Vidwan Patri Sathish Kumar. He has had the opportunity to accompany many stalwarts in Carnatic Music. He has also performed in countries like Singapore, Dubai, Bahrain and USA.

List Of Songs

Track 1 – vAsudevayani – KalyANi

Track 2 – Samayamu – KalkaDa

Track 3 – SitAvara – Devagandhari

Track 4 – NinnuvinA SukhamugAna – TOdi

Track 5 – Sarasa sAma dAna – KApi NArAyaNi

Track 6 – Inta Sowkhya – KApi

Track 7 – VinanA Asakuni – PratApavarALi

Track 8 – Ennaga Manasuku – NIlAmbari

Concert Review

Thyagaraja Aradhana Concert by Dr. R. Suryaprakash

By Revathi Subramony

Dr. R. Suryaprakash’s Thyagaraja Aradhana concert — with strong accompaniment from BV Raghavendra Rao on violin and KH Vineeth on mridangam — made for a vibrant start to the Sruti year.

Dr. Suryaprakash began with Thyagaraja’s evergreen composition Vasudevayani in Kalyani.  Beautiful nereval in the charanam line Raga tala gatulanu paduchunu and an outpour of kalpanaswarams, true to his bani, set a great tone for the concert. He then presented two beautiful compositions: Samayamu ye marake in the rare and haunting raga Kalgada, and Sitavara sangeetha jnanamu in Devagandhari. Dr. Suryaprakash’s Devagandhari alapana highlighted the raga’s characteristic dheerga (elongated) Gandhara beautifully making for a satisfying alapana. 

Next, he presented a novel perspective on Thodi (no mean feat!). Right from the start of the alapana, rather than only focusing on canonical Thodi phrases, Dr. Suryaprakash performed graha bedham (shifting the tonic note) to transition into Mohanakalyani. The contrast between the two ragas, though fleeting, dramatized the beauty and azhuththam of Thodi when he returned to it.  Afterward, it was a pleasure to hear the krithi Ninnu vina sukhamugana (which is not often heard) 

The highlight of the concert was Sarasa sama dana in Kapi Narayani — always a crowd favorite! After a brisk rendition of the krithi, Dr. Suryaprakash and the team built up to a high-energy climax with nereval in the familiar line Hithavu mata lento. Dr. Suryaprakash’s rapid-fire sarvalaghu kalpanaswaras did full justice to his musical lineage: his guru Padmabhushan TV Sankarnarayanan and his paramaguru the legendary Madurai Mani Iyer. Sri Raghavendra Rao’s vidwath and experience came through clearly as he kept the tempo going playing several beautiful fast phrases on the violin. Sri Vineeth’s mridangam playing greatly uplifted this segment drawing a big applause from the audience. 

Dr. Suryaprakash chose Kapi as the main. (I wish more artists would do the same!) His alapana outlined the many facets of this meandering, soothing raga. After a rendition of Intha soukhyamani ne, he again showcased his prowess in kalpanaswaram at the meaningful charanam line Svara raga laya sudha rasam, with koraippu alternately ending in lower and higher Rishabam. Finally, Vineeth’s energetic thani avarthanam, although short, rounded off this piece of the concert nicely.

Dr. Suryaprakash concluded the concert with several bhavam-filled thukudas: Vinana asakoni in the rare ragam Pratapavarali (a Harikamboji janyam), Vaidehi sahitam (dhyana shlokam from the Ramayana) which he sang in pleasing ragas- Behag, Ahiri, Kedaragowlai and Neelamabari- transitioning into Ennaga manasuku rani. On the whole, a thoroughly enjoyable concert showcasing a spectrum of moods, from the dreaminess of Kapi to the vitality of Kapi Narayani.

Revathi Subramony is a Carnatic vocalist and Teacher and pursues a career in Clinical Pharmacy. She is a steadfast supporter and past president of SRUTI.