Reception for Artist in Residence Vidwan G Ravikiran

1978-born G Ravikiran is an outstanding vocalist known for his sonorous voice, clear enunciation, and deep understanding of raga music.

Growing up in Bengaluru, Ravikiran received his earliest lessons in Carnatic music at age nine from Gayatri Kesavan. Soon, he was to learn from Vasanta Ramanujam and RS Ramakanth, following up with a long period of apprenticeship with RK Srikantan, thus gaining a strong foundation in the grammar and aesthetics of his art. TM Krishna has been his guru for over two decades now.

Ravikiran’s concerts have been described as serene, authentic and refined, marked by exceptional strength in the performance of lower octave singing.

A passionate devotee of Muthuswami Dikshitar’s compositions, he has for long been championing the Dikshitar legacy with missionary zeal.

The trust he established with the object of promoting Dikshitar, music, and conceived the Dikshita Kshetra Darshanam project, annual programmes in which several musicians participate in offering their musical homage to the saint-composer. This year, Guruguhaamrta has been in the forefront of commemorating Dikshitar’s 250th birth anniversary. Dikshitar 250, a six-day in March-April 2025, curated by the trust, was a roaring success.

A software engineer by profession, Ravikiran performed a challenging balancing act pursuing music side by side with a corporate job for many years before plunging into a full-time career in music. He performs regularly at several venues in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and other parts of India. Special mention must, of course, be made of his kutcheris during Chennai’s December season, topped by those at the Madras Music Academy. A special memory of his is that of his experience singing at the Navaratri Mandapam in Thiruvanantapuram during the 2011 Navaratri celebrations.

Ravikiran’s awards and titles include a First Prize in the All India Radio National Competition, the Best Concert Award from The Madras Music Academy, and the Voleti Venkateswarulu Endowment Award.

A popular teacher of Carnatic music, Ravikiran has conducted lecture-demonstrations in India, Singapore and France.

Ravikiran’s wife Archana is a bharatanatyam dancer, and the couple have a daughter and a son.