Ragatid: Ayushi

In the first Ragatid this spring we invite you to a concert with Dr. Ayushi Sowmya Ramachandran and her fellow musicians Sunthar Kanesan and Sneha Sunthar.

Doors open at 4:30 PM
Concert starts at 5:00 PM
Free entry

On stage:

Ayushi Sowmya Ramachandran – veena

Sunthar Kanesan – mirthangam

Sneha Sunthar – ghatam

Dr. Ayushi Sowmya Ramachandran is a Veena artiste from Coimbatore, India. She has a PhD in biosciences and works at the university of Oslo. She fell in love with her instrument at age 3 and began her formal training under the guidance of Guru Smt. Seetha Balakrishnan from the age of 8. She has won numerous titles and awards including the Tamil Nadu Government's arts and literature award for best instrumentalist and the Yuva Kala Bharathi music achievement award. After a 10 year separation from her instrument due to education, she is now happily reunited with her beloved veena in Oslo and where she teaches music and is a member of the music group - Isai with Imir. 

Sunthar Kanesan is a music teacher from Jaffna, Sri lanka. Hailing from a musical lineage of generations, he has been playing the Mirthangam professionally since 1992 and has performed with notable Norwegian, Indian and Sri Lankan musicians. After completing his education in music pedagody from NMH (Norsk Musikk Høyskole), he has been teaching Mirthangam at the Oslo Kulturskole since 2006. He works tirelessly to strengthen the musical cultural identity of tamil music and has established a private music school "Naadhaantham", teaching children both western and carnatic music in Oslo. He has also conducted music workshops during the International Children's Day celebrations, with the goal of making tamil instruments familiar and accessible to those from all walks of life. He has been a part of the Bergen-based band 9 grader Nord, and their musical message.

Sneha Sunthar, born and raised in Oslo is the daughter of Sunthar Kanesan. She is a nurse by profession and works with music in every spare minute. Under her father's guidance, she has been playing the Mirthangam from her childhood and has recently begun making her mark on the Ghatam, an instrument known for having too few female artists. Additionally Sneha also plays the keyboard, guitar, bass guitar and drums. She has performed in several concerts and is also a member of the music group - Isai with Imir.