Nirmala Rajasekar

Nirmala Rajasekar is a Carnatic Saraswati veena player, composer, vocalist, and educator. One of the world's premier veena players, Rajasekar has performed at Carnegie Hall, the United Nations, the Madras Music Academy, Narada Gana Sabha, Sawai Gandharva Festival,

Early life Nirmala Rajasekar began her training in the Saraswati veena at the age of 6 in Chennai with Sri Deva Kottai Narayana Iyengar and Smt. Kamala Aswathama, the mother of Smt. E. Gayathri. After moving to Bangalore, she studied at the Gana Mandira School in Basavangudi with Smt. G Chennama and Smt. E. P. Alamelu. Upon returning to Chennai, Rajasekar came under the tutelage of Saraswati veena player Smt. Kalpakam Swaminathan, with whom she trained for nearly thirty years. Through Swaminathan, Rajasekar is part of the Dikshitar shisya parampara. In Chennai and Delhi, Rajasekar studied Carnatic vocal music with Sri B. Sitarama Sarma and Prof T.R. Subramaniam, receiving a Government of India scholarship to study with the latter. In her career, Rajasekar performs traditional Carnatic repertoire as a Saraswati veena exponent Past composers include Pauline Oliveros, Morton Feldman, John Cage, Jennifer Higdon, and Julia Wolfe. and in 2010, Innova released her album Into the Raga. Rajasekar's third album with Innova, a collaborative world music album called Maithree: The Music of Friendship, was released in 2018. WNYC New Sounds, and Jazz Weekly. and Melodic Expressions.

Rajasekar has collaborated with artists including Pt. Ronu Majumdar, Pt. Gaurav Majumdar, Sri Mysore Manjunath, Anthony Cox,

Rajasekar is an A-Grade artist of All-India Radio, British Broadcasting Company,

Since 1995, Rajasekar has lived in Minnesota, USA, She is also a COMPAS teaching artist. and the Vice President of the Global Carnatic Musicians Association. 2020 Annual Commissioned Composer of University of Wisconsin-River Falls 2010 McKnight Fellowship 2006 Bush Fellowship