Nirmala Rajasekar
At age 13 in Bangalore, India, Nirmala began her performing career as a solo veena player. Since then, with over 25 years of concert experience in veena and vocal music, she has appreared in many world-renowned venues in including London, Berne, Zurich, Bombay, New Delhi, Chennai, New York, C leveland and Minneapolis. She has been a member of the panel chosen by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations to present concerts in Festivals of India around the world from her teen years.
Nirmala has performed at the Symphony Space, New York City, Madison Cultural Center for the Arts, Madison, Walker Art Center, Schubert Club, Cedar Cultural Center, Minnesota Public Radio, Indian Music Society of Minnesota, WCCO TV, City of Minneapolis productions, many centers in Rochester, Winona, Marshall (all in Minnesota), several venues in other states - Stevens Point, Deco- rah, Iowa City to name a few places.
Winner of a Best Concert award from KFAI Radio in Minneapolis, she has received many grants, commissions and awards including performance grants from the Cultural Collaboration Grants from the Minnesota State Arts board, Composers’ grants from the Jerome Foundation, the American Composer’s Forum , Meet the Composer Inc, the Playwright Center collaboration Nirmala has been selected as a BUSH artistic fellow for the years 2006 –2007. She has become the first Indian Clas- sical musician ever to receive this honor. In Dec 2005, the India-based arts organization ‘Vipanchee’ awarded her with the title ‘Nadha Kala Vipanchee’ –This honor was conferred on her by one of India’s greatest living legends - Dr.M.Balamuralikrishna.
Indian Radio and Television has awarded the prestigious ‘A Grade ranking artist’ honor to Nirmala. Her creativity and musicianship is showcased in many recordings - including the BBC, England ‘s ‘Library of world artists album’, Audio Lit. Inc- California, USA ‘Poems of Mirabai’, Shruthilaya Re- cords Chennai, India ‘Melodic Expressions’, Speak Easy Records- Minnesota, USA ‘Words will heal the wound’. Her CD ‘Strings in Unison’ (a duet on the veena with famed India based violinst Mullaivasal G.Chandramouli) has been released in India in the International Winter Music Festival in Dec 2004. The music of the documentary film ‘The story of Vishnu -the temple elephant’ has been co-authored by Nirmala. Her next two albums one on the ‘Veena Dhwani-Sounds of the Veena’ and one untitled vo- cal album have been recorded in Minnesota.
Her collaborative work in vocal music and composition - ‘Bhakti ‘ (March 2003)- based on the spiri- tuality of 8th Century Indian Saint Andal and 11nth Century German Saint Hildegaard Von Bingen has been seen in many cities across the USA.. Since 1996, she has presented music and poetry (with poets Robert Bly, Coleman Barks and others). In June 2006, she performed ‘Shakuntala’ on the veena in the company of a String Quartet and a soprano singer in Symphony Space, New York City which received a fine review in the New York Times. While she has performed with many virtuosi guitarists, flautists, violinists, percussionists and dancers (Ragamala Music and Dance Theater has been a col- laborator on several projects) on several occasions, her latest foray in composition and creative music is as co-composer of works for ’Carnatic Energy’ (with Jazz virtuoso Anthony Cox) – an eclectic group of artists presenting a unique experience in tradition and improvisation.
