Photo courtesy of the artist.
Sruti Sarathy
Carnatic violinist and composer
Carnatic violinist and composer Sruti Sarathy is a rare artist who possesses both mastery in the rigorous classical form as well as a boundary-pushing musical vision. She animates the stage in diverse contexts across the globe, from the sabhas of Chennai to music festivals in San Francisco. Sruti’s projects include the global ensemble Carnatic Crossings, Carnatic trio Unfretted, and Songs for Many Lives: A Carnatic Diaspora Songbook. Sruti’s soulful sound brings out the voice of the Indian violin in a contemporary and imaginative way.
Sruti Sarathy previously participated in ACTA’s Apprenticeship Program in 2007, working with master musician Anuradha Sridhar in Carnatic violin.
Living Cultures Grant
2023
“Songs for Many Lives: A Carnatic Diaspora Songbook”
The Living Cultures grant will support the creation of the Songs for Many Lives album, an album of original Carnatic kritis honoring South Asian diasporic history. Songs for Many Lives documents the history of the South Asian diaspora in the Bay Area through new Carnatic songs. Musicians Sruti Sarathy and Roopa Mahadevan imbue the traditional form with new life, using it to honor South Asian immigrant life and history, in its radicality and richness. This project is a collaboration with the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action.
