Priya Purushothaman

Vocals

Priya Purushothaman is part of the new generation of young Hindustani classical vocalists. She specializes in the style of the Agra gharana, characterized by its power, inspiration and playfulness. She is a student of Vidushi Aditi Kaikini Upadhya and Pandit Sudhindra Bhaumik, and is accompanied by Smt Shashikala Kaikini. She also had the opportunity to study under the late Pandit Dinkar Kaikini – a musician who belonged to a rich lineage of research, scholarship, composition, and performance.

Coach / Educator

As a teacher, Priya has a teaching practice for students from various musical backgrounds around the world. With her teaching method, she focuses on training the voice, builds the foundation of “sur” (melody) and “taal” (rhythm), and takes students on the journey of exploring and improvising within a raga. She teaches students of all ages and levels. As a performing singer, Priya also works with musicians of other genres who are interested in broadening their spectrum to include techniques of Indian classical music in their own style.

Lectures

Priya lectures on various nuances of the Agra gharana style. She has done this for audiences and students at institutions such as Codarts Music Conservatory (Rotterdam); Utrecht Music Conservatory (Netherlands); Syracuse University (NY); Society for Art and Cultural Heritage (CA); the Agastya International Foundation (India); Studio for Movement Arts & Therapies (Bangalore); Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts (Bangalore), among others.

On stage

Priya has performed frequently in India, the United States and Europe at venues and festivals such as the Barbican Centre (London); the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series (NYC); MIT Heritage Arts of South Asia (Boston); the National Centre for Performing Arts (Mumbai); First Edition Arts (Mumbai); Dadar Matunga Cultural Centre (Mumbai); Kalakshetra (Chennai); Shanmukhananda Hall (Mumbai); Jaganmohan Palace Auditorium (Mysore); India International Centre (Delhi); among others. Priya has been recognized by the ‘Indian Council for Cultural Relations’, and an award-winning artist of ‘All India Radio’.

Collaborations

She has collaborated in many genres with artists such as Grammy-award winning composer, Osvaldo Golijov, in his opera Ainadamar; with British electronic musician, Actress in the “Different Trains 1947” project; and has toured with Dutch Jazz ensemble, Spinifex. In 2019, Priya was selected as an artist-in-residence for the Bagh Sound Lab in Rajasthan, for which she conducted research on the compositional aesthetics of learned composer Pandit S.N. Ratanjankar.

Prior to her 15-year training in Hindustani music, Priya trained and performed for 12 years in South Indian Carnatic vocal music and Western classical violin.

What to expect

Focus

Improvising within a raga.

Styles

Agra gharana. North Indian

Levels

all

Age

all ages

Languages

English, Hindi

Fee for individual lessons

upon request

€107

Priya Purushothaman: Indian Vocal Course

Learn the basics of the Indian vocal music with this video course of the inspiring artist. You will get lots of information and exercises to practice.