Biography: Srinivas Krishnan

Friday, April 26 - Saturday, April 27, 2013: Global Rhythms - Blueprints from across the world

Monday, April 9, 2012 - Friday, April 13, 2012: Imprints of India Series with Srinivas Krishnan

Saturday, October 29, 2011: Global Rhythms:World Music Presentation directed by Srinivas Krishnan and featuring over 40 artists.

Srini's education in India and in the U.S. combined with his work experiences in both cultures has enabled him to acquire a deep sensitivity to world cultures.  His diverse experiences as a leader, artistic director, educator, and team player provides a stock of situations that widely resonate with citizens from across the globe.  Srini is unique in the fact that he has formal education in areas of Environmental Toxicology and Hazardous Waste Management and worked for prestigious clients including U.S. EPA, Procter & Gamble, U.S. DoD, for over a decade.  Although Srini lives in Chennai, India, he has been associated with Miami University of Ohio for 25 years and his experience mentoring students in India and the U.S. in areas ranging from Business Management to Performing Arts to Molecular Biology have given him ample opportunities to stay creative, intuitive and emerge as a leader in a spectrum of disciplines.
 
Srini has been collaborating with artists across the world since 1986.  He founded the Global Rhythms World Music Ensemble, which was a formidable undertaking given that over 300 members are part of his productions even today in the USA. Global Rhythms Ensemble allows for students from Western Classical Music or non-music majors to learn all the elements of Indian Classical Music or any other traditional form of music in an efficient and effective manner within one semester, using non-traditional instruments in many cases to allow for ease of learning.  As Artistic Director for over 50 shows, he continues to be successful in piecing together musical traditions from all across the world and allowing for some of the best talent in the world of Western Classical and World Music to work with students, creating greater awareness of music, cultures, teamwork and the arts in the most unexpected ways. In the process, he has allowed students, especially in the smallest of cities to become aware of diverse musical traditions, driving their curiosity to a level that has brought several of them to India for over a decade.

For over two decades, Srini has remained creative and been invited to centers including MIT, Duke University, UPenn, Indiana University, Berklee College of Music, College-Conservatory of Music (Cincinnati), University of North Texas, and most recently had been invited to come over to the Rock Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Hollywood Bowl (collaborative project with Maestro AR Rahman), and Lotus World Music Festival to name a few.  The artists in his team included virtuosos including Grammy winners Horacio Hernadez and Glen Velez, Eguie Castrillo, and a string of artists including Valerie Naranjo from the Saturday Night Live Band, mridangam maestro Sri Umayalapuram Sivaraman, snare drum virtuoso Jeff Queen, Paschal Younge from Africa, Arnaldo Vacca, Victor Mendoza, Tony Cirone, string artists Marion Peraza and Carlos Rubio from Venezuela, string artists affiliated with the Great Wall International Academy, all of whom were rich in knowledge of their respective traditions of music. The four years of collaborative projects in association with the College-Conservatory of Music allowed him to understand audiences, as well as arrive at effective programming.

Srini's most significant collaborations over the last decade have been with Academy Award winning composer AR Rahman with whom he continues to have a close rapport and trust. In his collaborations with AR Rahman, Srini has always managed to include hundreds of American talent to partake in every collaborative musical exercise. Be it having them perform in AR Rahman’s Unity of Light tour back in 2003 or shows in the year 2005, 2006 and 2007 or record for background scores in films like Sivaji or Jodha Akbar, or arrange his musical scores, or enabling Rahman to find ways of bringing Western Classical Music to India (through KM Music Conservatory), Srini’s position was always to allow for the artists (students in most cases) called upon to have the opportunity to learn and lead, building an exemplary relationship of language, friendship, culture and worlds. 
 
Srini continues to serve as a Visiting Scholar at Miami University, Mary Baldwin College, Northern Arizona University, besides being constantly involved in exchange programs with institutions like University of Pennsylvania, always keen in finding ways to make a contribution and a greater degree of awareness to students from diverse backgrounds.  Srini owes a lot of his success to his parents and to individuals including Kris and Vicky Joshi, Dr. Gene Willeke, Pamela Fox, Bob Schietroma, Cleveland Johnson, and Bhairavi Jani who were all instrumental in encouraging his passion for the arts at a global level.

Listen to Global Rhythms music samples:

Dil Se Re - Misfitz and Global Rhythms (This world class A Capella team "Misfitz" at Miami University led by Christy, Mallory, Meredith and Michelle has collaborated with Global Rhythms Ensemble, founded and directed by Srinivas Krishnan, several times. The arrangement was done by Scott Padden and this amazing song "Dil Se Re" has been composed by Academy Award winner A R Rahman of India. Like true artists, they enjoy the excitement of a practice session just as much as a big show on stage.)

Global Rythms 2009 | Global Rhythms 2008

Last modified April 01 2013 12:04 PM