At Ganesh Temple, Papakura, Auckland on Sunday, July 2 at 630 pm
Venkat Raman
Auckland, June 21, 2017
Melody and youthful enthusiasm will fill the pious environment of Shri Ganesha Temple in Auckland’s Papakura on Sunday, July 2, 2017 as a brother-sister combo presents an instrumental music concert.
Arushi Ramesh
Thirteen-Year-old Arushi Ramesh will perform several popular and challenging numbers on the Violin while her elder brother Abhinav (20) will render support on the Mridangam, another challenging instrument.
There are many stalwarts of South Indian and Sri Lankan origin who have achieved global fame playing these instruments and the forthcoming concert would be a source of gratification and endearment to them.
Arushi and Abhinav are children of Yamini Ramesh, a proficient musician who encouraged them to give vent to their talent in the world of melody and Ramesh Gopalan, a music enthusiast and a source of support to the three of them.
Born in New Zealand, Arushi currently lives in Chennai, learning Violin under the watchful eyes and ears of Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi, daughter of legendary Lalgudi Jayaraman and sister of GJR Krishnan, another great violinist.
Seven years ago, at the age of six, Arushi became the youngest disciple of octogenarian Lalgudi Jayaraman, from whom she learnt the nuances of the instrument. Her mother Yamini, a regular performer at the ‘NRI Music Festival’ organised by ‘Hamsadhwani,’ a Chennai based organisation), initiated her into Carnatic music when she was just three years old.
Arushi had her debut at a Wedding Concert in Chennai when she was ten years old.
Awards and Citations
Her competence, concentration and ability to execute difficult compositions have earned her accolades and honours, notable among which are the ‘Special Commendation Prize’ that she won at the ‘Shruthi Laya Prathibha’ held in Dubai in 2012, First Prize in the Violin Competition held by the Indian Fine Arts Society, Chennai in 2014, ‘Sangeet Samrat Junior’ Title and First Prize at the Violin Mini Concert Competition organised by Vibgyor Events, Dubai in October 2014.
She has, to her credit, several concerts, both as a solo and as an accompanying artiste at Music, Flute, Harikathas, Katha Kucheris and other programmes organised by professional and cultural organisation in Chennai. They include Karthik Fine Arts, Krishna Gana Sabha, Bharat Kalachar, Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan, Mylapore Fine Arts, Narada Gana Sabha and Maarga.
Abhinav Ramesh
This 20-year-old Medicinal Chemistry University of Auckland Undergraduate student commenced his music career at the feet of his mother Yamini early and at the age of four, started his lessons in Mridangam under the able pedagogy of Suresh Ramachandra, an Auckland based teacher.
He later received advanced training under Trichur Narendran in Chennai.
Abhinav participated in the Mridangam Competitions conducted by The Music Academy of Madras, and won the Second Prize in the Senior Category in 2010.
The Academy selected him to perform at its ‘Spirit of Youth Festival’ in 2014.
Abhinav has participated in many concerts, accompanying young singers during the Chennai Music Season and at programmes and festivals held in Dubai and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.
Recently, he accompanied Arushi at a full-fledged concert in the presence of many maestros such as Professor Trichy Sankaran, M Chandrasekharan and Mannargudi Easwaran.
Abhinav has also played Mridangam at several concerts in Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington. He was a performing artiste at the Melbourne Trinity Festival as a part of the ‘Talented Youth Music Exposition’ series in May 2017.
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