Ra-Ve Cultural Foundation Master Concert – The Gods of Carnatic

Ra-Ve Cultural Foundation (Ra-Ve) is well-known across the arts landscape of Northwest Arkansas for providing classes, training, and musical events for all who are interested in the music and dance tradition of classical India. The Master Concert series is the ultimate expression of that vision. Join us as we celebrate these ancient, lustrous—and highly entertaining—arts!

In September, The Gods of Carnatic come to Bentonville! Ra-Ve in partnership with the Tyson Center for Faith-Friendly Workplaces at the University of Arkansas is highly honored to host two of the genuine legends of Carnatic music, Naadha Yogi VV Subrabmanyam on the violin and Trichy Sankaran on the mridangam, with this concert.

The global influence of these two consummate masters cannot be overstated; they have, over the decades, literally shaped the musical culture of millions of people across the planet. In a rare appearance to Bentonville, they, along with VVS Murari and K.V. Gopalakrishnan, bring their years of experience and artistry to this concert, one that promises to be a highlight of the 2024 arts season in NWA!

● Thursday September 12 th , 2024
● 6:30-8:00 PM
● Record Downtown
104 SW A St
Bentonville, AR 72712

Thanks to the generosity of the Tyson Center for Faith-Friendly Workplaces at the University of Arkansas, this event is FREE for Ra-Ve members and U of A students.

Naadha Yogi VV Subrabmanyam: Violin

Professor V.V.Subrahmanyam is a violin artist, composer, scholar, author, innovator, and inventor. Born at Ernakulam (Kerala) in 1944, the musical training of Prof. V.V.S. (as he is fondly known) began with his father and continued with many of the masters of Carnatic music. His distinguished career as a soloist and accompanist spans well over six decades, touring throughout India and the world. In his solo concerts, his genius is apparent through his use of soulful melody combined with elegant bowing and flawless technique.

Prof. V.V.S. has a strong musical sensibility, a perfect grasp of musicality, lyrics, and expressions, all of which together make him a brilliant creator. This takes center stage during his performances, characterized by evocative renditions and pure, unadulterated music emanating straight from the heart and finding voice through his instrument.

Prof. V.V.S. has composed Varnams, Songs, Thillanas, Bhajans in Tamil, Sanskrit and Hindi. He has also composed poems in Tamil and set to tune the songs of saints and Siddhas, winning many awards in India and abroad. He believes that it is his responsibility to share his gifts and has taught and lectured at such prestigious institutions as the Universities of Cologne, Hamburg, Osnabruck in West Germany, Tritantri Vidhya Peeth at Amsterdam, the Tamil Nadu Government Music College in Madurai, India, and Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut.

An undisputed icon in the field of Carnatic music, Prof. V.V.S. has spoken at many forums, including radio and tv channels in India and abroad, and has published dozens of articles in journals around the world.

Dr. Trichy Sankaran: Mridangam

Trichy Sankaran is a world-renowned percussion virtuoso, Indian music scholar and composer, and the founding director of Indian music studies at York University. Over the years, Prof. Sankaran has bridged eastern and western pedagogical styles and has influenced generations of students who have become noted performers, composers, and music educators themselves. He has made valuable contributions to many scholarly conferences across North America and has published numerous articles, as well as two major textbooks: The Rhythmic Principals and Practice of South Indian Drumming and The Art of Konnakkol.

Trichy Sankaran has performed at prominent festivals in India, South-East Asia, Europe, Australia and North America. In his six decades in Carnatic music, he has accompanied all the top artists of India. He has performed in jugalbandhis (North-South combo) with famous Hindusthani musicians and was the pioneer in starting the Thyagaraja Festival in Toronto, Canada in 1972.

In addition to his usual traditional settings and numerous solo recitals, he has performed with gamelan, jazz, electronic, African music ensembles, and world drums, as well as his own group, Trichy’s Trio. As a composer, Trichy Sankaran has written and continues to write in the genres of gamelan, jazz, traditional western classical orchestra, and world music ensembles.

Dr. Sankaran has received numerous honors and awards for his contributions to university teaching and artistic excellence. In January 2012, he received the highly coveted honor of “Sangita Kalanidhi” from the prestigious Music Academy of Madras––the first recipient of this award in the Pudhukkottai tradition of mridangam playing.

VVS Murari: Violin

Born into a family of musicians with a rich artistic lineage and steeped in music, Vadakkencheri Srikrishna Murari (popularly VVS Murari) represents the fourth generation of musicians in his family. He was trained under the guidance of his father and guru, the legendary ‘Nadayogi’ VV Subrahmanyam, and later from the doyen of Carnatic music, ‘Padma Vibhushan’ Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer.

Murari today has evolved as a sensitive and emotive musician, performing extensively in India and abroad in the most prestigious forums, drawing critical acclaim wherever he goes. He has won several accolades from reputed institutions all over the world. Murari is also an art entrepreneur. He is the founder and director of VVS Foundation, India; Executive Director, VVS Foundation, USA; Founder and Chief Operating Officer of SaMaa Arts LLC, USA; and Founding Member and Joint Secretary of Global Carnatic Musicians Association. Through these organizations he has been the catalyst in mentoring talented young artists and putting them on the world stage.

Murari believes in giving back to the community. Dakshinotsavam was a project he developed in December 2020 to identify and feature lesser-known musicians affected by the Covid pandemic. He reached out to and collected a huge sum of money for 150 fellow Carnatic musicians of southern India who had little access to technology and whose only source of income was music. Similarly, in early 2022 Murari curated a special open-air festival, Chalakudy Mahotsavam, at Chalakudy, Kerala, to help over 140 musicians from Kerala weather the ongoing financial crisis.

K.V. Gopalakrishnan: Kanjira

K.V. Gopalakrishnan (KVG) was initially trained by his father KVRS Mani and is now under the guidance of mridangam maestro “Sangitha Kalanidhi” Dr. TK Murthy. He has been honored by the Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt as their “Asthana Vidwan” and received the awards and titles “Yuva Kala Bharathi” from Bharat Kalachar; “ObulReddy Endowment Award” from Narada Gana Sabha; “Best Upa Pakkavadhaym Award” from The Music Academy; “Madhura Murali Puraskar Award” from Vipanchee during the 82 nd Birthday celebrations of Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna; and Sangeet Natak Akademi’s “Bismillah Khan – Yuva Puraskar” from the government of India.

KVG has travelled widely around the world, taking part in many international music festivals and concert tours, and has shared the stage with almost all the senior artists of modern Carnatic performance, as well as with up and coming stars of today. He has also worked with famous Tamil cine music directors “Isai Gnyaani” Ilayaraja and Vidyasagar. He is an “A” Graded Artiste of All India Radio, Chennai both in Kanjira and
Mridangam.

Not content with mastery of the kanjira, KVG is also an accomplished mridangam player and has won the “Best Mrithangist” award from The Music Academy, Madras for three consecutive years.

Tyson Center for Faith-Friendly Workplaces at the University of Arkansas

The Tyson Center’s mission is to make the workplace of tomorrow more faith-friendly by providing current and future business leaders with relevant learning experiences, knowledge, and opportunities for leadership and connection. It is a part of the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.

Ra-Ve Cultural Foundation was founded in 2018 with a mission to promote the traditional performing arts of India in NWA, by educating and inspiring people to learn, teach, and sustain those arts in our area. We fulfill our mission through a variety of initiatives, including weekly classes for young people, workshops and performances with skilled local artists, and sponsorship of world-famous practitioners of Indian dance, music, and theater to come to NWA to perform and teach.