Harvard Square is a unique landmark that attracts hordes of tourists every year. It's not just that it's surrounded by the historic buildings of Harvard University. Nor is it that you see people from many parts of the world and many walks of life. No matter who you are, the square has an an aura and an ambience that makes everyone love it.

This historic square is also home to musical presentations from all over the world. On Friday May 7th, the people roaming around Harvard Square witnessed an unusual event. Live Carnatic music was being played at the square – a historic first! Harvard University students Vasanthi Sridhar, Vivek Rudrapatna and Burlington Middle Schooler Arun Saigal presented a recital right in front of Au Bon Pain in Harvard Square. People wandering around Harvard Square seemed fascinated with the music. Some peered close to watch the Indian style violin playing and the fingering on the Mridangam.

The presentation was part of the Harvard Arts Collective arts festival that features indoor and outdoor performances by the student body. “There has been a lot of exposure to North Indian Classical music at Harvard. But exposure to Carnatic music is minimal. We would like to bring Carnatic music to Harvard and other audiences” say Vivek and Vasanthi who have formed a group to present Carnatic music to audiences at Harvard and beyond. Appropriately titled ‘Kaveri’ the group has been bringing the music from the banks of the Kaveri to areas around the Charles.

Vasanthi Sridhar, who is a freshman at Harvard, pursuing premedical studies, is a Carnatic Vocalist who has learnt music under the guidance of her mother, Smt Sandya Sridhar. “I think performances are essential to increasing awareness. We were very pleased when the Arts Collective accepted our proposal to sing at the Arts Festival at Harvard Square” says Vasanthi Sridhar. Vasanthi has performed at several occasions in New England and beyond and has received great compliments on her music. “[her's is] a music so divine and authentic it was as if she never left the shores of Mylapore, wheras the truth is she has never set foot there “ was a special comment that she received and treasures very much. Vasanthi is also a student of Bharatanatyam, having learnt it for several years.

Vivek Rudrapatna is a sophomore at Harvard College studying Neurobiology/Biophysics and a native of Basking Ridge, NJ. He began his study of violin in western classical music at age 8, and continued his study through local school orchestras through high school. At 11, he began the study of Carnatic music under Sri Mysore Sateesh, a torchbearer of the MSG violin bani. Vivek pursued further training under Mysore Ganesh Kumar, B.U. Ganesh Prasad, and the world-renowned duet violinists Mysore Nagaraj and Manjunath. 8.5 years and scores of concerts later, Vivek is still very much a student, learning under Vidwan Anantha Krishnan whenever he gets breaks from college

Since her arrival at Harvard last fall, Vasanthi Sridhar and Vivek Rudrapatna, as a team, have been working to bring an increased awareness to Carnatic music at Harvard. At the forefront of this mission, Vasanthi and Vivek have performed at a number of venues, both on and off campus in an effort to expose Carnatic music to a wider audience. Judging by the enthusiastic feedback of classmates and faculty alike, they have been quite successful in this endeavor.

The arts festival included two performances, one outdoor and another indoor. The repertoire for the evening included Varnam in Navaraga malika,. Bhavayami in Yamuna kalyani Endhayum thayum a Ragamalika composition and a Behag Tillana..

The repertoire for the indoor concert included a Simhendramadhyamam Raga Alapani followed by the Kotteshwara Iyere Krithi Unnai Allal. This was followed by ragamalika swarams in the ragams Shiva Ranjani, Mohanam,Desh and Sindhubhairavi and ended with a thani by Arun Saigal.

How do they manage to keep up their music practice while keeping up with an intense course load at Harvard? “Time management is important. These concert opportunities are very helpful” says Vasanthi Sridhar.

“It is so wonderful for me to be at Harvard Square playing music” says Arun Saigal, who provided Mridangam accompaniment. Arun Saigal , a seventh grader from Burlington Middle School learns Mridangam from Guru Pravin Sitaram of Shrewsbury. Arun ’s words "excuse me I am only a junior at Burlington Middle School" drew laughter from the audience as he corrected the announcer who mistakenly introduced him as Junior at Harvard. “I have had the unique opportunity of performing at two historic events. The first was when I was part of the Chorus that sang at the inauguration of the Leonard- Zakim bridge and this is the second one where I get to play my Mridangam at Harvard Square, at the first Carnatic music concert. This is very special to me. It is so nice of the Harvard students to ask me to accompany them. It is a great honor.” In addition to Mridangam, Arun also plays violin as part of the orchestra at the New England Conservatory and plays the Trombone in his school band.

Smt Rajee Narayanan, a great musician and composer from Mumbai, India happened to be part of the audience at Harvard square. “I am so pleased to see this effort. The future of Carnatic music in this country is in the hands of children who are putting so much effort to learn this art and I am glad they are bringing it to new audiences.”

Vasanthi Sridhar and Vivek Rudrapatna will be part of the live orchestra, for the dance production, Bharatantayam – A Step Apart , to be presented on Saturday June 5th at the Peobody Elementary School in Cambridge, MA.

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