V.R. Ventakaraman

V.R. Ventakaraman is a Carnatic mridangam artist and Artistic Director of The Music Circle. Born into a family with rich musical ancestry, he received his early training under Trichy Raghava Iyer before advancing his study of mridangam under Palghat R. Raghu, one of the greatest exponents of Carnatic percussion. He came to the United States in 1986 and has been a central figure in the American Carnatic music community, collaborating with leading artists and presenting educational programs on Indian classical percussion.