MANJULA RAO
  The Violinist


Manjula started learning violin at the young age of 8 from Sri. Venkatadasappa and continued with Sri. H.V. Krishna Murthy. She had her advanced training from the well known violinist, Sri. R.R. Keshavamurthy (Bidaram Krishnappa's student) in Bangalore.

She has given many solo performances and accompanied many visiting artists, including Jesudas, and has provided violin support in many orchestras for dance.

She directed and conducted many orchestral ensembles of Carnatic music with western instruments and has directed a number of group songs.

She has set to music Kalidasa's Shakuntala and was the music director for the same drama when it was staged in Chicago in 1981. She has composed 
interludes for Utsava Sampradaya kritis of Thyagaraja. 

She has published and directed a musical drama, "Purandara Daasa". She was the recipient of Illinois Arts Council grant for '99. She teaches music, both Vocal and Violin, at her home.