SRI GANESHAYA NAMAHA
THE MUSICIANS
KESHAV RAM
VOCALS
Keshav Ram, born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, is a versatile musician known for his skill across genres as both a vocalist and instrumentalist. His musical journey began with early vocal training from Smt. Shobha Sekhar and a deep foundation in Carnatic music theory under the mentorship of the Late Prof. G Narsimhan. Keshav’s instrumental talents include the electric mandolin, initially taught by Shri Nataraj Babji in Melbourne, then further refined with guidance from the late maestro Shri U Shrinivas and his brother Shri U Rajesh during annual visits to India. He also taught himself guitar, adding to his diverse musical abilities.
Keshav was the first Australian to compete on both Tamil Super Singer in Chennai, where he reached the Top 20, and the Telugu Indian Idol in Hyderabad, where he made it to the Top 12. These achievements opened doors to collaborations with renowned artists such as Shweta Mohan who was his judge on Super Singer, and Karthik, who was his judge on Indian Idol. Having returned to Melbourne following the 3-year-long stint in India, Keshav has started taking vocal and mandolin lessons after a hiatus, building an initial foundation in Carnatic music before exploring other genres of music.
SAI-NIVAEITHAN RAVICHANDHIRA
MRIDANGAM
Sai-Nivaeithan Ravichandhira, a mridangam virtuoso, hails from a rich musical lineage, trained from the age of four under his father, M. Ravichandhira, OAM, and legendary Guru Karaikudi R. Mani. He made his arangetram at 12 and has since performed for over 20 years at the Chennai Music Festival.
Alongside mridangam, Sai trained in Carnatic vocal under his mother, Narmatha Ravichandhira, OAM, deepening his musical sensitivity. He holds an ‘A-grade’ accreditation from All India Radio & TV, Chennai, a rare distinction for overseas artists.
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His accolades include the Mridanga Kala Nipuna Award (2014) from Vikku Vinayakaram and the Murugabhoopathy Award (2016) from Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai.
As co-founder of The Sai Brothers, Sai has completed a year long sadhana, preserving Karaikudi Mani sir’s compositions through consecutive daily recordings. He teaches at Sruthi Laya Kendra Australia, continuing his Guru’s legacy.
VENKHATESH SRITHARAN
FLUTE
Venkhatesh was born into a deeply musical family, inspired and guided by his mother, Sangeetha Vidwan Varalakshmi Sritharan, a distinguished Veena artist in Sri Lanka and Australia. He began learning the flute at the age of five under the tutelage of Sri Suthanthiraraj, and while continuing as his disciple, further refined his artistry under flute maestro Ramani Thiagarajan in Chennai. He is currently advancing his training with the renowned flautist Shashank Subramanyam.
In 2014, Venkhatesh presented his flute arangetram, performing alongside his sister Saumya Sritharan on the Veena. A versatile and accomplished artiste, he has also trained in tabla, piano, veena, and classical vocal music, and has performed for dance productions, arangetrams, and light music concerts across Australia and New Zealand.
His musical journey has also taken him to international stages. Venkhatesh toured the UK and US with Belvoir Street Theatre Company’s acclaimed production Counting and Cracking, performing at prestigious venues including the Edinburgh International Festival, The Birmingham Repertory Theatre, and New York’s Public Theater.
Alongside his artistic pursuits, Venkhatesh works as a Monitoring Clinical Research Associate (CRA) in clinical trials, successfully balancing his professional career with his enduring passion for music.
KRANTHI KIRAN MUDIGONDA
VIOLIN
Kranthi Kiran Mudigonda is one of the leading Carnatic violinists in Australia. He began his musical journey under the guidance of Sri P.S.S.R Jagannatham and Sri N. C. Ramanujam, and later pursued advanced training with the eminent Vidwan Sri Dwaram Satyanarayana Rao in Hyderabad. He is currently receiving advanced training in Carnatic vocal music from the Hyderabad Brothers and in violin from 'Kalaimamani' Parur Sri M. A. Sundareswaran.
Kiran is also trained in Mridangam and Kanjira under the tutelage of renowned Gurus Sri Varanasi Kaliprasad Babu, Sri Nerkunam Sankar, Sri Melakaveri K. Balaji, and Sri Patri Satish Kumar.
He has extensive experience accompanying both Australian and International artists in concerts across Australia. He is a graded artist of the All India Radio.
Kiran has also participated in cross-genre collaborations and creative endeavours. He has toured the UK and the USA with the Belvoir Street Theatre Company for their acclaimed production "Counting and Cracking," performing at prestigious venues including the Edinburgh International Festival, The Birmingham Rep Theatre, and The Public Theater in New York.
In addition to his passion for music, Kiran is a Software Test Consultant by profession. He founded the Geervani Academy of Performing Arts in Sydney in 2008, where he teaches Carnatic Vocal, Violin, and Mridangam.