Raaga Music Academy is presenting its 52nd programme, a grand Veena recital by Vidu. Bhagyalakshmi Chandrashekaran, a veteran vainika on Saturday, the 16th at Prajna Kuteera Ayurveda Centre, Vishwamanava Double Road,  Kuvempunagar, at 5.30 pm, as part of Sri Krishna Jayanthi celebrations.

Profile: Vidu. Bhagyalakshmi hails from a music loving  family and was initiated into vocal music at the tender age of six and Veena at the age of nine, under the tutelage of Guru Mudikondan Narayanaswamy Ayyar. She has been giving full-fledged veena concerts since the age of 12.

She is a Gold medallist in music from the Madras University and is graded ‘A Top” at AIR. She has been featuring regularly in AIR and DD programmes. A recipient of Government of India scholarship for Advanced Studies and Training in Veena, Bhagyalakshmi is also a senior empanelled artiste of Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR).

Known for her strict adherence to tradition, she is equally an adept at innovations. A great exponent of playing the swara prastharas with clarity and precision, her rendition is soothing and bhavapoorna. Her overflowing kitty of awards includes Nadachintamani from GayanaSamaja, Sangeetha Thilakam from Thiruvambadi Ekadasi Sangeetholsavam, Sangeetha Tapaswi, Vainika Ratna besides several awards from, AIR, Music Academy and Indian Fine Arts Society.

Bhagyalakshmi has many CD/DVD releases too on Veena Music lessons and ShodasaDevaranamas. On Saturday, she is being accompanied by two seasoned percussionists, Vid. P.S. Sridhar on the mridanga and Vid. Raghunandan Rao on the ghata.

This concert is sponsored by Vidu. Jayashree R. Rao. For details contact Ph: 08212542069 or Mob: 9449703610.

—Veena Arun Kumar