Young Artists Showcase

Smitha Krishnan is a junior at Cooper Union and is studying chemical engineering. She

began learning vocal Carnatic music at the age of seven from Smt. Simanthini Kauta in New Jersey and then continued learning under Smt. Jayashree Varadarajan in California; she is currently studying with from Smt. Padma Srinivasan.

She also has advanced vocal training from Sri. R. K. Shriramkumar. In addition, Smitha began playing violin at the age of thirteen, under Sri. Anantha Krishnan and is currently learning from Sri. Delhi P. Sunder Rajan.

Smitha has competed and won in both the Carnatic Music Association of North American and the Cleveland Aradhana competitions. She was named the 2006 Junior Musician and was also given the Founders Award by the Carnatic Music Association of North America.

She has accompanied and played solo concerts in the tri-state area, Washington, DC, Florida, and during the Cleveland Aradhana for many upcoming artists from the United States as well as from India, including Mahesh Vinayakaram, Sri C.K. Pavandeep among many others. Smitha gave her debut violin solo concert in Chennai

during the summer of 2006. She also played during the December Music Festivals in Chennai in 2008.

Naveen Basavanhally is a promising young mridangist (percussionist) who has trained for eight years under Sri Ramachandran Suresh, who belongs to the Palani School of mridangam. In addition, he is taking advanced

lessons from Kalaimamani Sri Guruvayur Dorai. For his arangetram (graduation performance) in August 2007, he performed with renowned violinist Vidwan Sri Vittal Ramamurthy. He has performed with various musicians, such as Vidwan Sri AS Murali, Sri Vempati Ravi Shankar and Sri Manasa Nayana (a student of Sri RK Srikantan and Chitravina Ravikiran) and performed at the 2006 AKKA World Conference in Baltimore.

During the 2008 Chennai Music Season, Naveen performed extensively at several sabhas (organizations that arrange concerts in which they give awards and title). In addition, he has performed in vocal and violin arangetrams and in talavadya kutcheris (percussion ensembles), winning several awards, including first prize at the 2006 Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana. He is currently a sophomore at Rutgers University. See these wonderful performers at The Young Artists Showcase event, which will be held on Saturday, Oct 3, from 2:00PM-4:00PM at The Atrium at University of Connecticut, located on 1 University Place in Stamford, CT. Admission is FREE.

For more information, please call Namaskaar Foundation at (203)322- 9862 or send an email to world@wolrdonstage. org.