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Brief Biography
Vidushi Smt. Radha Thandaveswara is the eldest of the Bellur Sisters.
Smt. Radha is an Indian Carnatic classical vocalist of national and international repute with innumerable audio records, CDs and HMV LPs/EPs to her credit. She was accompanied by her sister, Late Smt. Rama Devi, in her musical journey. Together, they are popularly known as Bellur Sisters. Smt. Radha is one of the founding directors of Sri Lalitha Kala Academy in Mysore (Karnataka, India) a pre-eminent center for Classical Indian Music and Dance, founded by Smt. Radha’s late father, Sri B. S. Shankaranarayana (B.S.S.) Rao and sister, Guru Uma Rao (Karanataka Kalashri), a very well-known Bharathanatyam dancer. Guru Uma Rao continues to direct the academy today.
Early years
Born in a traditional smarta family on 11th Jan 1951 at Bellur (Mandya district, Karnataka), Radha began her early education in music at the age of ten, under the guidance of Sri. H. T. Ramaswamy. Around 1970s, following her passion in music, Radha pursued her higher education in music at the University of Mysore Fine Arts college. During the 1970s, Bellur Sisters were already well-known performing artists, rendering concerts across Karnataka. They were famous for their devotional music that popularized Dasa Sahithya songs composed by saints like Sri Purandara Dasa and Sri Kanaka Dasa.
Years in Kalakshetra, Chennai
Later on, Radha pursued her post graduation diploma in Kalakshetra, Chennai (then Madras). Here, she had the privilege of learning under legends of Carnatic classical music like Sri M.D Ramanathan, Sri Gotuvadyam Budalur Krishnamurthy Shastri and Thuraiyur Sri Rajagopala Sharma. Apart from that, Radha also had the honour of learning under the able guidance of Sri Papanasham Shivan during her stay in Chennai. She was also an All India Radio artist during her stay in Kalakshetra.
Smt. Radha was bestowed with Arybhatta, Sri B. M. Shri and Banashankari Samskruthika Sangha awards. In 2001, during the first Kannada Sahitya Sammelana Parishat gathering at Bellur, Smt. Radha was honored for excellent achievements in the field of music. Smt. Radha has been conferred with many notable titles such as Madhura Gaana Visharade and Kala Saraswathi by Mandya district. In addition to the HMV recordings, Bellur Sisters have created about 30 audio cassettes, and over half a dozen albums on Carnatic music, devotional music, Sanskrit sthothrams, sahasranamams and vachanas.
Smt. Radha has composed Carnatic music for a Japanese poem called Sagi Musume (The Heron Maiden), which was hugely appreciated by the audience and connoisseurs, alike. She has set musical score for many Bharathanatyam dance drama productions for her sister Guru Uma Rao, Guru M. R. Krishnamurty (Kittu Sir of Kalakshithi, Bangalore) and other artists.
Smt. Radha continues to actively teach many students, both locally and internationally (via Skype). You may contact her at brtrao @ yahoo . com
Smt. Radha currently lives in Bangalore, India, with her husband, Prof. B. R. Thandaveswara Rao, who has been a constant source of support and encouragement in her artistic pursuits. She has a son (Raghavendra) and a daughter (Saraswathi), who thoroughly enjoy the rich legacy of music and art in the family.
For a collection of songs and albums by Bellur Sisters, please check the following links on iTunes and Amazon Music and Google Play
Vidushi Smt. Radha Thandaveswara is the eldest of the Bellur Sisters.
Smt. Radha is an Indian Carnatic classical vocalist of national and international repute with innumerable audio records, CDs and HMV LPs/EPs to her credit. She was accompanied by her sister, Late Smt. Rama Devi, in her musical journey. Together, they are popularly known as Bellur Sisters. Smt. Radha is one of the founding directors of Sri Lalitha Kala Academy in Mysore (Karnataka, India) a pre-eminent center for Classical Indian Music and Dance, founded by Smt. Radha’s late father, Sri B. S. Shankaranarayana (B.S.S.) Rao and sister, Guru Uma Rao (Karanataka Kalashri), a very well-known Bharathanatyam dancer. Guru Uma Rao continues to direct the academy today.
Early years
Born in a traditional smarta family on 11th Jan 1951 at Bellur (Mandya district, Karnataka), Radha began her early education in music at the age of ten, under the guidance of Sri. H. T. Ramaswamy. Around 1970s, following her passion in music, Radha pursued her higher education in music at the University of Mysore Fine Arts college. During the 1970s, Bellur Sisters were already well-known performing artists, rendering concerts across Karnataka. They were famous for their devotional music that popularized Dasa Sahithya songs composed by saints like Sri Purandara Dasa and Sri Kanaka Dasa.
Years in Kalakshetra, Chennai
Later on, Radha pursued her post graduation diploma in Kalakshetra, Chennai (then Madras). Here, she had the privilege of learning under legends of Carnatic classical music like Sri M.D Ramanathan, Sri Gotuvadyam Budalur Krishnamurthy Shastri and Thuraiyur Sri Rajagopala Sharma. Apart from that, Radha also had the honour of learning under the able guidance of Sri Papanasham Shivan during her stay in Chennai. She was also an All India Radio artist during her stay in Kalakshetra.
Smt. Radha was bestowed with Arybhatta, Sri B. M. Shri and Banashankari Samskruthika Sangha awards. In 2001, during the first Kannada Sahitya Sammelana Parishat gathering at Bellur, Smt. Radha was honored for excellent achievements in the field of music. Smt. Radha has been conferred with many notable titles such as Madhura Gaana Visharade and Kala Saraswathi by Mandya district. In addition to the HMV recordings, Bellur Sisters have created about 30 audio cassettes, and over half a dozen albums on Carnatic music, devotional music, Sanskrit sthothrams, sahasranamams and vachanas.
Smt. Radha has composed Carnatic music for a Japanese poem called Sagi Musume (The Heron Maiden), which was hugely appreciated by the audience and connoisseurs, alike. She has set musical score for many Bharathanatyam dance drama productions for her sister Guru Uma Rao, Guru M. R. Krishnamurty (Kittu Sir of Kalakshithi, Bangalore) and other artists.
Smt. Radha continues to actively teach many students, both locally and internationally (via Skype). You may contact her at brtrao @ yahoo . com
Smt. Radha currently lives in Bangalore, India, with her husband, Prof. B. R. Thandaveswara Rao, who has been a constant source of support and encouragement in her artistic pursuits. She has a son (Raghavendra) and a daughter (Saraswathi), who thoroughly enjoy the rich legacy of music and art in the family.
For a collection of songs and albums by Bellur Sisters, please check the following links on iTunes and Amazon Music and Google Play
NOTABLE CONCERTS
- At the Durbar Hall of Amba Vilas palace in the presence of His Highness Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar on the occasion of Prince Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar's wedding.
- At the Dasa Sahitya concert at Sri Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam (TTD), Tirumala
- As a cultural ambassador under the aegis of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to the islands of Mauritius, Madagascar, Reunion & Seychelles.
- Performance at the Singapore Broadcasting Company.
- Lecture demonstrations on Indian Carnatic Music at Tokyo University.
- Performance at the Sri Brihadeeshwara Temple under the aegis of South Zone Cultural Center, Thanjavur.
- Workshop on Narayaneeyam at Kalakshetra, Chennai.