BRIEF BIODATA OF VIVEK CHELLAPPA

Vivek Chellappa, 19, has been learning mridangam since the age of six from Sri R. Kannan, a disciple of Sri. Malayappa Iyer who hails from the style of the legendary Sri Palani Subramania Pillai.  He has also taken lessons from Sri. Anoor Dattatreya Sharama of Bangalore and Sri. Srinath Balasubramaniam of Jayamangala.  Vivek also had the opportunity to take advanced lessons from Kalaimamani Guruvayur Dorai in Chennai.     

Vivek is a regular participant in annual music festivals in Washington and Cleveland, where he has won three prizes in percussion competition, including first place in the Senior mridangam category in 2005.  In Oct. 2004, Vivek performed in his first full-scale concert with Smt. Ganakalashree M.S. Sheela.  Since then, Vivek has played in several mini and full length concerts, including a concert at the Cleveland Aradhana in 2006.

Vivek is a sophmore at Brown University pursuing a degree in Neuroscience.