The title of Violin Chakravarthy (literally ‘Emperor of the Violin’) leaves little room for interpretation. Child prodigy turned classical master, Dr. L. Subramaniam is a living legend and has been collaborating with WOMADelaide in the curation of traditional and classical Indian artists through The Spirit of India Fund for over six years.

A classical violinist, composer and producer, Dr. Lakshminarayana Subramaniam has traversed the globe with the divine charge of showcasing South Indian classical music to the world and has succeeded through collaborations with the likes of Ravi Shankar, George Harrison, Jean Luc Ponty, and Stevie Wonder, and compositions created for the world’s greatest orchestras including the New York Philharmonic and the Houston Symphony. His vast reach and enduring career has been helped by the juxtaposition of his stage presence with the serenity of an Indian musician combined with the magnetism of a Western star. Initially a student of medicine, he resolved to dedicate his life to music, earning a doctorate in Western Music at the California Institute of the Arts where he taught, and founding the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival and the Subramaniam Academy of Performing Arts in Banagalore. In 2027 he celebrates not only his 80th birthday but India’s 80th year of Independence.

This will be Dr. L. Subramaniam’s fourth appearance at the festival since the inaugural edition in 1992, when he performed alongside artists such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Youssou N’Dour.

Presented with WOMADelaide’s Spirit of India Fund.