Music Artists

Susheela Narasimhan (Violinist):

Mr. Narasimhan learned violin from Sri H.K. Venkatram in Shimoga for about a year and later on from Sri H.K. Narasimha Murthy for about 6-7 years in Mysore. He has played for many concerts in the Bay Area. He also teaches violin in the Bay Area and has produced good students who are now playing for concerts in the Bay area. He has composed many Pallavis on Lord Raghavendra Swamy and runs a Melakartha Pallavi Concert Series. He has also given lecture demonstrations on California Arts Association Television on violin playing. He has a Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering and works as a Senior Thermal Engineer for Nvidia in Santa Clara.

Balaji Mahadevan (Mridangist):

An M.Tech from I.I.T Roorkee, Balaji Mahadevan is a prolific Mridangam and Tabla player who has made a niche for himself in the Bay Area, not only in these two instruments but also as a skilled professional playing the Thavil, Dhol, Khol, Dholak and other ethnic percussion instruments. Hailing from Chennai, he had the privilege of getting his dedicated initial training from two very renowned gurus—Sri K.K.S Mani and Sri B.V Madhu Sudhanan, a disciple of Sri Karikudi Mani. A graded artist from All India Radio from a very young age, he has been accompanying many leading artists and various arangetrams and dance ballets in India and since the last many years in the US. Taking forward the traditional tutelage gained from his gurus, Balaji has been actively mentoring children at Sri Bala Vadhya Vidyalaya, a school he has set up in San Ramon. Ever ready to innovate with percussion, Balaji has experimented with musical instruments, modified and customized them creatively to lend them his unique style of playing.

Will Marsh (Guitarist):

Will Marsh brings refined melody, imagination and devotion to all facets of his music. He has been performing classical sitar for fourteen and guitar for twenty years. Will has worked with Grammy-winning musicians and producers and has been featured on national television. From his roots as a guitarist from northern Michigan to performing Hindustani sitar in Kolkata, Will’s musical journey has been rich and diverse. He believes passionately that music is essential to all of humanity. He holds his MFA in World Music Performance from the California Institute of the Arts and has studied with some of the world’s greatest musicians including Ustad Aashish Khan (eldest son of Ali Akbar Khan), Roshan Bhartiya, Tushar Bhaita and Shakir Khan. Currently, Will resides in the California Bay Area as an active teacher, performer and recording artist.

Prasanna Rajan (Flutist):

Prasanna Rajan has been learning Carnatic Flute under the tutelage of flute maestro Sri Shashank Subramanyam. He also plays Hindustani flute and western trumpet. He has performed several solo flute concerts both Hindustani and Carnatic in the US and India. He has played as an accompanist to many dance arangetrams and dance productions in the Bay Area. He has a Master’s degree in Translational Medicine from UCSF and is currently working for Blue Shield of California.

Amogh Kaushik (Vocals):

Amogh has been learning music for the past 18 years. His gurus are Sri Anand Sheshadri, Sri Murali Parthsarathy, Dr. Sri R.S. Nandakumar, Smt. Vathsala, and Sri Shayan Sheshagarani and is currently learning with Sri Anand Sheshadri and Sri Murali Parthsarathy. He has always loved singing and experimenting with western musical instruments, including piano and electronic modular synthesis. He graduated from University of San Francisco with a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry aspiring to become a medical doctor. Amogh has sung in several Ranagapraveshas where he has been a part of the orchestra ensemble.

ABHIJEET MODAK (KEYBOARD):

Dr. Abhijit Modak learned keyboard playing and music composition under the tutelage of Mr. Diwakar Katare in Pune, India. He has been conducting and performing in various orchestras over the past 17 years