Carnatic Classical Music Concert by Vidvān D. Balakrishna & Ensemble.

An ICCR-supported Carnatic veena recital in the Mysore Bāṇi, tracing rāga and rhythm with Vidvān D. Balakrishna & Ensemble.
About this Event

Join us for a special evening of Carnatic Classical music with veena maestro Vidvān D. Balakrishna and ensemble, presented at the Embassy of India, Berlin, supported by ICCR.

The concert will follow the traditional format of a Carnatic classical vīṇā recital, unfolding the rāga–tāla system through composition and improvisation. It will open with a varṇam establishing tonal grounding, followed by a series of kṛtis of varying weight, interspersed with improvisational elements such as rāga ālāpana, neraval, and kalpanā swaras. The central segment of the concert will be an extended exploration of a main rāga and composition, potentially including a rāgam–tānam–pallavi, with tānam serving as the melo-rhythmic bridge between the free-flowing ālāpana and the rhythmic structure of the pallavi. The recital will conclude with lighter compositions, offering contrast and a sense of closure. Throughout, the format will be shaped by the distinctive voice of the vīṇā, its depth, gamaka precision, and resonance.

Notably, Vidvān Balakrishna will also present two compositions whose beauty inspired Sri Rabindranath Tagore to compose similar songs in Bengali, a fitting resonance for an evening at the Tagore Centre.

Vidvān D. Balakrishna is a distinguished exponent of the veena in the Mysore style of Carnatic music. He is the son and disciple of the legendary Sangeetha Kalanidhi Mysore V. Doreswamy Iyengar, Padma Bhushan awardee, one of the towering figures of veena music. Trained from childhood in this lineage, he carries forward the Mysore Bāṇi, distinguished by its melodic clarity and architectural sense of restraint.

His artistry has been recognised at the highest levels in India, including the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the Karnataka Kalashree from the Government of Karnataka, and the Sangeeta Kala Ratna from the Bangalore Gayana Samaja. He holds Top Grade artist status with All India Radio and Doordarshan, and is empanelled with the ICCR. Vidvān Balakrishna's connection to this part of the world is not new: as a young artist, he performed in a veena quintet led by his father at the Festival of India in the former USSR in 1987, and again in Germany in 1991.

Vidwan Srinivasa Prasanna – Veena
Srinivasa Prasanna is a professional Carnatic Classical Veena player and an All India Radio 'A' Grade artist. A disciple of Vidwan Sri D. Balakrishna, he has performed extensively on prestigious platforms across Bengaluru, Mysore, Chennai, Bhopal, and Goa. He began learning the Veena at age five from his father, Late Prof. V. Prabhakara, later training under Late Dr. V. Doreswamy Iyengar, Padma Bhushan awardee, before continuing under Vidwan Sri D. Balakrishna.

Deepikaa Sreenivasan – Mridanga & Konnakkol
Deepikaa Sreenivasan, a disciple of Dr. Nandyala Ramamurthy and Dr. Patri Satish Kumar, plays the Mridanga and recites Konnakkol. A recipient of the Young Artistes' grant and the Junior Fellowship from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, she has performed across India and abroad, including the UK and Europe, and was invited to perform for visiting world leaders at the G20 Summit in Delhi. She also works as a software engineer and writer on classical music.

Dr. Shashidhar Gopalakrishnan

This special evening at the Embassy of India, Berlin, offers a rare opportunity to experience the depth, precision, and resonance of the Mysore veena tradition, carried forward across generations of guru and disciple.

📅 Date: 17 September 2026

🕒 Time: 18:00 hrs, doors open at 17:30 hrs. Please arrive early to secure your seats.

🏛️ Venue: Embassy of India, Tiergartenstraße 17, 10785 Berlin

Entry regulations:

• Entry to events at the Embassy of India, Berlin is only by registration. We reserve the right to refuse admission to any person at our discretion.
• Please do ensure that all details entered in the registration form are made correctly.
• Please ensure that each participant has registered separately with individual name! Multiple registrations with the same name will not be accepted.
• Valid ID cards/passports having German stay permits. EU citizens may carry copies of their local registration certificate.
• Entry for children above 6 years is permitted.
• No bags are permitted inside the premises due to security reasons.
• By attending the event, you grant us the right to take photographs and videos for purposes of marketing, publicity, internal documentation and social media.

Note: Children under 6 years are not permitted.

Einlassbestimmungen:

• Der Zutritt zu Veranstaltungen in der Indischen Botschaft in Berlin ist nur nach Anmeldung möglich. Wir behalten uns das Recht vor, Personen nach eigenem Ermessen den Zutritt zu verweigern.
• Bitte stellen Sie sicher, dass alle im Anmeldeformular eingegebenen Angaben korrekt sind.
• Bitte stellen Sie sicher, dass sich jede/r Teilnehmer/in einzeln mit individuellem Namen registriert! Mehrfachanmeldungen mit demselben Namen werden nicht akzeptiert.
• Gültiger Personalausweis/Reisepass mit Aufenthaltstitel für Deutschland. EU-Bürger können eine Kopie ihrer Meldebescheinigung mitbringen.
• Kinder ab 6 Jahren haben Zutritt.
• Aus Sicherheitsgründen ist das Mitführen von Taschen auf dem Gelände nicht gestattet.
• Mit der Teilnahme an der Veranstaltung erteilen Sie uns das Recht, Foto- und Videoaufnahmen für Marketing- und Werbezwecke, interne Dokumentation und soziale Medien zu machen.

Hinweis: Kinder unter 6 Jahren haben keinen Zutritt.