Smitha K. P​rasad
Carnatic Classical Vocalist
I was born into a family that had a deep love of the arts. My mother, Smt. Tara was my very first guru. She not only instilled a solid foundation in Carnatic music but also emphasized the values of discipline and hard work to achieve personal goals. To this day, my mother continues to mentor me before my concerts and I can always count on her to give me her honest assessment.
I am very fortunate to be training under my current guru Vidushi Smt. T.S. Vasanthamadhavi, a renowned senior musician and musicologist based in Bangalore, India. She has been instrumental in my performing career and is a never-ending source of guidance, support and encouragement.
Apart from Carnatic concerts, I regularly present lecture demonstrations on various aspects of Carnatic music, both for informed audiences as well as audiences listening to Carnatic music for the first time. One of the more interesting assignments that I have done to date has been a presentation on Indian classical music for the US Department of Justice. I have also collaborated and performed jugalbandhi concerts with Hindusthani classical musicians. The jugalbandhi concerts showcase the two classical styles of Indian music- Carnatic and Hindusthani- in a cohesive presentation while maintaining the individuality of each style.
I am on the faculty of Leela School of Dance (a center providing holistic education in Bharatanatyam in the triangle area of North Carolina) where I direct a program "Music for Dancers", the main aim of which is to equip classical dancers with a firm understanding of Carnatic classical music as applicable to their dance. I have served as an adviser to the board of the India Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the propagation of Indian culture and art forms.
Apart from being a vocalist, my other passion is......writing! I write a monthly article on Carnatic music for a leading South Asian publication (Saathee) in the US; I also do freelance writing on subjects related to classical arts for other websites and publications.
In my other 'avatar', I work as Director of Product Management for one of the largest CROs where I manage multiple healthcare technology solutions More about this at my LinkedIn profile.