BRHAD-KALA Autumn 2025 Carnatic Concert Series-Milton Keynes

BRHAD-KALA is pleased to invite you all for the Autumn 2025 Carnatic Music concert series in Milton Keynes, UK. This year marks the 250th year birth anniversary of Muddusvami Dikshitar, one of the greatest composers of Carnatic Music. We are delighted to be curating the UK tour by Vidwan G Ravi Kiran and performing at Milton Keynes supported by senior Mridangam Vidwan P Kiruoakaran and one of UK's finest emerging artists Aparna Raghuraman on the Violin. The concert is supported by MK Indian Music Club. 

Date: Saturday, 01 November 2025

Time: 4pm

Venue: Medbourne Community Pavilion, Pascal Drive, Medbourne, Milton Keynes MK5 6LS

PROGRAMME

Vidwan G Ravi Kiran, Chennai - Carnatic Vocal

Ms Aparna Raghuraman, London - Violin

Vidwan P Kirupakaran, London - Mridangam

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

G Ravi Kiran-Vocal

Vidwan G Ravi Kiran was initiated into Carnatic Music by Vid. Gayatri Kesavan, Vid. Vasanta Ramanujam and Vid. RS Ramakanth. After a four-year break to pursue engineering at BITS, Pilani, he was convinced that Carnatic Music was the love of his live! He was fortunate to learn under Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri RK Srikantan for over a decade. Since 2002, he has been under the tutelage of Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri TM Krishna and fortunate to be one of his senior most students.

In the world of Carnatic Music, the kritis of Muttusvami Dikshitar hold a special place in his heart. The intricate lyrics, the sweeping glides, the majestic chowka kala pramanam (slow tempo) – all of it moves him beyond words!!! He has performed over numerous concerts consisting of only Dikshitar’s kritis and have even recorded an exclusive album consisting of Rare Kritis of Dikshitar.

Ravi Kiran has been regularly performing at the prestigious December Music season in Chennai and festivals across India. He has extensively toured Asia and North America performing and conducting workshops.

Apart from a concert career, he also worked in radio for a while. He hosted two shows on Shruti - the 24 hour Carnatic Radio Station on Worldspace Satellite Radio where he expounded various aspects of Carnatic Music such as ragas, melakartas and also talk about the ancient musicians who have dotted the Carnatic landscape.

He strongly feels that a concert must be a passionate musical experience - if the artist on stage is charged with sheer love for what he/she is singing, the listeners would also be drawn into the experience. Innovation is great - but it must be a natural progression backed by ability and passion!!! If an artist doesn’t enjoy every moment of their music, then how do you expect the listeners to enjoy??

Enamored by the rich compositions of Muthuswami Dikshitar, I founded a trust dedicated to the popularization and propogation of Dikshitar’s kritis – called – Guruguhaamrta. Under this trust, I have so far organized several exclusive concerts of Muthuswami Dikshitar’s compositions. I have also conducted workshops of Dikshitar Kritis. Guruguhaamrta also organises a regular aradhana for Dikshitar at his Holy Samadhi at Ettayapuram (Tamilnadu).

Aparna Raghuraman - Violin

Aparna is the daughter and disciple of renowned violin vidwan Sri Balu Raghuraman. Aparna was initiated into the art of violin playing at a very young age and has shown immense progress since then. Aparna has won several awards in various competitions during her time as a young child. Milapfest awarded the National youth Fellowship to Aparna for the years 2020 and 2021. Aparna had her violin Arangetram in the year 2022 with the support of Guru Sri Srimushnam V Raja Rao which was well received by the audiences here in London. Having attended various workshop conducted by Sri Ganesh Rajagopalan and Sri Lalgudi Krishnan, Aparna currently is under the tutelage of legendary violin maestro Sangita Kalanidhi A. Kanyakumari in Chennai. Aparna has been actively performing at prestigious venues and festivals in the UK and India

P Kirupakaran-Mridangam

P Kirupakaran hails from a family of musicians, learning vocal under his father Vallipuram Paramasamy. He began his Mridangam tutelage under Shri. M. Sithambaranathan and Shri. S. Mahendran at Anaamalai Isai Tamil Manrum, Nallur. He furthered his training under the esteemed Mridanga Maestro Guru Karaikudi R. Mani, developing such intricate and sympathetic techniques of playing Mridangam. He has participated in Ruphavahini, the Sri Lankan TV broadcasting channel, Norwegian TV, the BBC and Greater London Radio.