Sustaining Sampradaya 2026 — Announcement

The 49th year Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival is scheduled to start on Wednesday April 1, 2026. We have put together two programs for Sustaining Sampradaya that include some of the greatest compositions of Carnatic music in some of the most enchanting ragas.

The first program is a tribute to an eccentric genius who revolutionized how Carnatic music was performed on the flute, T.R. Mahalingam, popularly known as "Mali". The second program will be dedicated to the memory of a musician who was a gifted performer who also set many of Annamacharya's compositions to music, Nedunuri Krishnamurthy.

Sustaining Sampradaya — Tribute to T.R. Mahalingam

Saturday April 4, 2026; 4:00pm–6:30pm

  1. Ninnu kori (Varnam) — Vasantha, Adi, Thaacchur Singarachari
  2. Enduku Nirdaya — Harikambodhi,Adi, Thyagaraja
  3. Patti viduva raadhu — Manjari, Adi, Thyagaraja
  4. Ekaamranaatham bhajeham — Gamakakriya/Poorvikalyani, Adi, Muthuswamy Dikshithar
  5. Varamulosagi — Keeravani, Roopakam, Patnam Subramanya Iyer
  6. Ennadu juthuno — Kalavathi, Adi, Thyagaraja
  7. Marivere dhikkevarayya — Shanmukhapriya, Adi, Patnam Subramanya Iyer
  8. Inthakannaanandam — Bilahari, Roopakam, Thyagaraja
  9. Durusugaa — Saveri, Adi, Syama Sastri (Thani avarthanam)
  10. Sara sara samaraika — Kuntalavarali, Adi, Thyagaraja
  11. RTP — Begada, Adi (Ragamalika, Thani avarthanam)
  12. Smara Janaka — Behag, Mishra chapu, Swathi Thirunal
  13. Theeradha vilaiyattu pillai — Ragamalika, Khanda eka, Subrahmanya Bharathi
  14. Vaddani ne (Javali) — Kapi, Roopakam, Patnam Subramanya Iyer
  15. Kavadi chindhu, Chenchurutti, Khanda chapu, Annamalai Reddy
  16. Enthaho Vallabha (Padam) — Asaveri, Adi, Irayimman Thampi
  17. Thillana — Kanada, Adi, Veenai Seshanna
  18. Mangalam

Sustaining Sampradaya — Tribute to Nedunuri Krishnamurthy

Monday April 6, 2026; 4:00pm–6:30pm

  1. Vandeham — Hamsadhvani, Khanda chapu, Annamacharya
  2. Lekana ninnu — Asaveri, Adi, Thyagaraja
  3. Vidhulaku — Mayamalavagowlai, Adi, Thyagaraja
  4. Brahmakadikina — Mukhari, Adi, Annamacharya
  5. Kanta joodumi — Vachaspathi, Adi, Thyagaraja
  6. Deva Sri thapastheerthapura — Madhyamavathi, Thyagaraja
  7. Emayya Rama — Kambodhi, Khanda chapu Bhadrachala Ramadasu (Thani Avarthanam)
  8. Janaki Ramana — Kapi, Adi, Vaanamaamalai Jeeyar
  9. Naan oru vilayattu bommaiya — Navarasakannada, Adi, Papanasam Sivan
  10. RTP — Shanmukhapriya (Thani Avarthanam)
  11. Mosamaye (Padam) — Ahiri, Mishra chapu
  12. Gaayathi vanamaali — Durga, Adi, Sadasiva Brahmendra
  13. Ye theeruga nanu — Nadanamakriya, Adi, Bhadrachala Ramadasu
  14. Muddugare Yashoda — Kurinji, Adi, Annamacharya
  15. Uyyaalalukavayya — Neelambari, Khanda chapu, Thyagaraja
  16. Thillana — Rageshri, Adi, Lalgudi Jayaraman
  17. Patiki haaratheere — Surati, Adi, Thyagaraja

Training will be spearheaded by senior vidwans and vidushis.

The Process

Please note that these two concerts will lay a lot of emphasis on raga elaboration, kalpana swaram and other aspects of manodharmam. We plan to give fairly rigorous training on these besides giving the participants a very authentic and traditional version of the krithis.

Nagai R. Muralidharan will have the overall responsibility for supervising the participants' musical progress in both streams. A team of musicians will be in the US about 4 weeks before the Festival to monitor each and every one's progress to assist him in this regard.

The concert format will be set by a panel of senior vidwans which will include vocalists, violinists, veena vidwans, flute artists and percussion instrumentalists.

The total number of performers for each of these programs will be limited and will include vocalists, instrumentalists, and accompanists. Although this will be a group performance, we think that there will still be scope to exhibit individual talent.

Expression of interest should be received by the Aradhana Committee no later than October 5, 2025. The above panel will select the performers out of the pool of applicants, and these will be notified by October 20.

Early Admission: If you apply before September 21, we will fast track your application process (including the interview process if you are a first timer) and let you know the decision by October 7. This gives you a better chance of being part of the Sustaining Sampradaya program.

Training by India-based vidwans will begin on November 1, 2025. There will be a minimum of 2 classes per week. We will be using video conferencing or other Internet-based tools for imparting training.

Additionally, individual coaching will be given once a week by a musician from India, covering the weekend classes. This coaching will be during weekdays at a mutually convenient time. This allows the vidwan/vidushi to personally assess the progress made and the potential.

If you are interested, please note that you should be ready to invest your time both for the classes as well as for practice. This commitment has to begin in early November and has to continue up till the festival. The final rehearsal will begin in Cleveland from Thursday April 2, 2026 onward.

How to Apply

If you would like to be considered for participation in one or both of these concerts, there is a two-step process to follow:

Step 1: Application Information

Please email Gopi Sundaram (gopi@aradhana.org) the following:

  • Completed application form. Please download the form, and fill out all fields. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
  • An audition recording in MP3 format, consisting of an introduction and your performance. The introduction (maximum 2 minutes) should give your name, city, state, and what you are trying to highlight in the performance. This should be followed by a performance not exceeding 10 minutes. Both should be in the same file, in MP3 format (maximum 12 minutes).

The audition recording is not necessary if you have participated in an earlier Sustaining Sampradaya program.

Please email both the completed application form and the audition recording (if necessary) to Gopi Sundaram (gopi@aradhana.org).

Step 2: Application Fee

There is a non-refundable application fee of US $100 per concert. The check should be made payable to the Aradhana Committee, and mailed to the following address:

810 Newcastle Street
Saline, MI 48176-8869

Please write your name and the words "SS Mali" or "SS Nedunuri" on the face of the check at an appropriate place.

You can also pay electronically via Zelle from your bank account. Send the payment to treasurer@aradhana.org, and send an email to that same address to confirm the payment.

How the Selection Works

The selection process will be handled entirely by the India-based senior vidwans and vidushis, and their decision will be final. No member of the Aradhana Committee will be a part of the decision-making process.

If you are accepted by the panel to participate in any of the performances, we will immediately inform you about all the modalities of the training process. These include class schedules, concert items with ragas and talams, assignment of Vidwans for training, online availability of the teaching material, et cetera.

Please note that the vidwans who will impart the training are musicians of great eminence and repute, and we expect that the participants be sensitive to this great honor.

If you are selected and if you accept our offer, there will be a training fee which is:

  • Tribute to T.R. Mahalingam — US $2,000 per person
  • Tribute to Nedunuri Krishnamurthy — US $2,000 per person

The fees are payable on or before October 26, 2024.

We recognize that the training process is going to be intense and rigorous, but we also know that it is a very unique way to attain musical proficiency of high caliber in a very short time. Based on our experience with the previous years' concerts, we are confident that the 2026 concerts will also prove to be memorable.

We had an overwhelming response for this initiative in the past, and I hope that you will choose to respond to this year's initiative also in a similarly positive way.