"... Spine tingling rhythmic fireworks from a young expert in the art of South Indian drumming."

Rohan Krishnamurthy's meteoric rise in the field of South Indian percussion is nothing short of breathtaking. A resident of Kalamazoo, Michigan (USA), 18-year-old Rohan has been acclaimed a "percussion prodigy," "young expert," and "virtuoso" by distinguished music critics and musicians.


GURU

At the age of eight, Rohan initiated lessons on the intricate South Indian Classical drum, the mridangam (mru dhung gum), often hailed as one of the world's most complex drums.

After just three months of one-on-one training with local instructor Damodharan Srinivasan, lessons were forced to a standstill when Srinivasan moved to Massachusetts. What could have been the untimely end of Rohan's musical career led way to the first of Rohan's musical revolutions and, indeed, proved to be a turning point in his musical career. For the dedicated student and teacher developed a novel telephonic teaching setup over the speakerphone!
This unconventional approach was a resounding success that flourished for nearly a year.

The other musical turning point was when Rohan met the illustrious Indian percussionist, Guruvayur Dorai, who enthusiastically agreed to be his instructor. For the past eight years, Rohan has been receiving advanced training from Mr. Dorai both in India and the U.S.A.

Rohan's percussive style is often described as "flawless" and "reminiscent of the legendary mridangist C.S.Murughabhupathy." His bold beats delicately fuse the traditional classicism of the "Pudukottai School" with his own contemporary originality. This ideal blend has made his musicianship irresistibly refreshing in both the traditional Indian ensemble and global collaborations.

Rohan has recently begun offering novel percussive summer camps & workshops throughout the U.S. These highly sought-after events utilize a variety of multimedia and other state-of-the-art learning tools. In addition, Rohan continues to administer private one-on-one training to enthusiastic students of all ages and musical backgrounds.

PERFORMANCES

Rohan's performance career began at the age of nine, after just a year of training.

He has since performed in excess of 150 concerts all across the USA, Canada, and India with senior musicians in the field like Sangeetha Kalanidhis Prof. T.N. Krishnan, Flute N. Ramani, R. K. Srikantan, and R. Vedavalli, as well as present-day luminaries like Chitravina N. Ravikiran, Flute Shashank, O.S. Thyagarajan, S. Sowmya, T.M. Krishna, etc.

He has also taken the Indian Music scene by storm, having performed in the Indian Music hub-city of Chennai for eight consecutive years during the celebrated December Music Season. His primetime performances at venerated musical institutions like The Music Academy, Mylapore Fine Arts, Krishna Gana Sabha, Hamsadhwani, Bharat Kalachar, etc., have earned Rohan the description "percussion prodigy from America."

In December 2003, Rohan performed with Chitravina N. Ravikiran at the oldest Indian classical music festival in the world, the Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan, in Jallandhar, Punjab. Their historic performance clocked in as the second Carnatic concert organized by the national festival in its 128-year history.

Rohan has taken the mridangam far beyond the traditional ensemble and ardently explores the rich avenues of cross-musical collaborations. His inventive performances include fusion percussion ensembles with Western jazz percussionists, noted works with the renowned Nexus jazz group, and a first-of-its-kind symphonic collaboration with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra.

Along with concert performances, Rohan has delivered notable academic presentations on Indian Classical Music and Percussion in many respected colleges and universities, including Western Michigan University, Hope College, Grand Valley State University, and Kalamazoo College. Rohan is particularly acclaimed for his unique lecture-demonstrations that combine a lively, interactive element with a scholarly lecture.

Rohan's hectic music and academic schedules have not held him back from his passion of community service. He has presented countless ambassadorial performances and clinics in notable local and state institutions like the Lakeside Treatment and Learning Center, The Michigan Unitarian Church, the Indo-American Cultural Center and Temple, The Bodhanandha Society Summer Camp, and the Kalamazoo Juvenile Center.
Indeed, Rohan's innumerable concert performances, academic lectures, workshops, and community outreach programs have helped propagate awareness and appreciation for Indian Classical Music in general and South Indian percussion in particular. It comes as no surprise that Rohan is often regarded a "role model" and "source of inspiration" to aspiring young musicians.


AWARDS

• “Best Performer- Mridangam”- Rohan is one of the select few non-resident Indian musicians to receive this coveted title awarded by the Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, the oldest music organization in the South Indian Music hub-city of Chennai.
  
• “Yuva Kala Bharathi”- Rohan is the youngest awardee of this prestigious title for gifted young musicians. The award was presented by Bharat Kalachar, a premier music organization in Chennai.
  
• “Lillian Pringle Baldauf Award”- Awarded to outstanding music majors at Kalamazoo College.
  
• “Kaashyap Award”- Awarded to talented young musicians, Rohan is the first non-resident Indian musician to receive this title from the respected Valaypatti Naadalaya Academy, Chennai.
  
• “Prodigy in Performing Arts”- Presented by the Indo-American Center in New York, the award is presented to Indian Americans who have reached national renown in their respective disciplines.
  
• “Asthana Vidwan” (Artist Laureate)- Having made his debut at the Chicago Thyagaraja Utsavam, the original Indian Music institution in the U.S.A., Rohan’s long-standing participation with this organization earned him the title of Asthana Vidwan.
  
• Rohan has to his credit the First Prize in both the junior and senior mridangam competitions at the renowned Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana, the largest Indian Classical Music festival outside of India. Securing the first prize in the junior competition in 1997, the judges insisted that Rohan compete in the senior category the following year, although he was several years below the age stipulation. He won the senior competition the very next year.
  
• The Chicago Thyagaraja Utsavam awarded a Special Prize to Rohan after his formal debut at the age of nine, wherein he performed for nearly six-hours without break.
  

CONTACT
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Website : http://www.rohanrhythm.com