Kala Ramnath

Kala Ramnath is a renowned Hindustani violinist born in Chennai to a distinguished musical family that includes Carnatic violinists T.N. Krishnan and N. Rajam. She represents the seventh generation of violinists in her family, having been initiated into violin and vocal training at age two and a half by her grandfather Narayan Iyer. Although born into the Carnatic tradition, she oriented her study toward North Indian classical forms, studying with Pandit Jasraj, the vocal legend of the Mewati gharana, for over 15 years. During this period she stayed at his residence for five months, immersing herself in music around the clock. Her distinctive vocalistic approach to the violin earned her the sobriquet "Singing Violin." She was the first Indian violinist to be featured in The Strad, the world's leading string magazine. Kala Ramnath has performed at the most prestigious venues worldwide, including Sydney Opera House, London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, Paris' Theatre de la Ville, New York's Carnegie Hall, Singapore's Esplanade, and the Edinburgh Music Festival. She has forged musical alliances across genres, incorporating Western classical, jazz, flamenco, and traditional African music into her work. She is a member of the Silk Road Ensemble. Among her many awards are the Rashtriya Kumar Gandharva Sanman, Pandit Jasraj Gaurav Puraskar, Sur Ratna, and the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar.