Sowmyashree Rao

Bridging Cultures Through Carnatic Music

Sowmyashree was born into a family with a rich cultural background and was exposed to music from a very young age. Her formal training began with Sri Mysore M. Mahadevappa, the father of the Mysore Brothers Dr. M. Manjunath and M. Nagraj. She continued her advanced training under the guidance of Dr. R. N. Srilatha, Professor at Fine Arts College, Mysore; Vidushi Koviladi R. Kala from Chennai; and Vidwan Venkataraghavan, a disciple of the late Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna.

Early Performances and Broadcasts

Sowmyashree began performing at the age of six across Southern Karnataka, in places like Mysore, Dharmasthala, Udupi, Kukke Subrahmanya, Kolluru, and Horanadu. Her concerts were held during auspicious religious and musical events. She also performed for All India Radio – Mysore and Doordarshan, the National Television Network in India.

Spreading Carnatic Music in the USA

Sowmyashree spent over ten years in the USA, where she dedicated herself to promoting Carnatic music and training more than 75 enthusiasts of all ages. As an active participant in the Chicagoland music scene, she performed regularly at the renowned Chicago Tyagaraja Utsavam.

At the Global Music Academy Sowmyashree offers lessons in Carnatic classical music.