Young talent also find a stage in sabha and private concert halls during the famed December Season. And though the audience may be small – family and friends mostly – their talent gets some exposure and the artiste, much experience. And some of them move up in the concert circuit.
There are teens who move to the heart of Mylapore, from USA or elsewhere, to learn music locally. And when they reach a stage of mastery, want to perform on stage in the city.
Vidarshanaa Anand is one such young talent, with a lineage that she and her
family is proud of. This flautist has performed at two venues the past weeks and would not mind more invitations
This 13-year-old is the great granddaughter of flute maestro late Dr. N. Ramani.
Vidarshanaa’s mother, Shanthi Murali and father, Anand Rajaram, are scientists in the US. The family moved to Mylapore so that the girl immersed in music.
“Vidarshanaa showed deep interest in Carnatic music and rhythm ever since she was a
toddler,” says Shanthi, whose mother, Latha is Dr Ramani’s
daughter.
Vidarshanaa said that her classes in flute started at the age of five when her great grandfather, Dr Ramani, taught her the basics during a brief India trip.
She continues learning from Dr Ramani’s student, B Gokula Krishnan.
To understand the contrast between Indian and Western styles of flute playing, she
is also learning Western C flute from Seetha Shivaswamy in Austin, Texas.
Though she is currently residing in Chennai, she has enrolled in an online school in
the US.
- By Preetha K.
