Sanjeev Ramabhadran
New Jersey, USA
Sanjeev Ramabhadran is a graduate of Princeton and Duke Universities with a professional career in the pharmaceutical industry. However, music is and always has been his passion. Born and raised in the US at a time when musical resources were relatively scarce, Sanjeev was nevertheless exposed early to the best of the subcontinent’s various musical genres.
Sanjeev was fortunate to find a guru in eminent vocalist-composer Shri Ram Phatak, who took a keen interest in shaping his unusual musical acumen. While Shri Phatak had his grounding in the Gwalior gharana, he was also profoundly influenced by luminaries of his day, notably the late Ustad Amir Khan. In this spirit, he adopted a broad outlook while grooming Sanjeev, encouraging him to judiciously absorb good influences around him. As a result, Sanjeev acquired uncommon facility with both classical and lighter genres of Indian music.
In addition to numerous solo performances, Sanjeev has accompanied visiting senior artists from India like the late Pt. V.G. Jog, the late Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki, and Dr. Alka Deo-Marulkar. Sanjeev is well-known around the world for his highly successful appearances on Zee TV's “TVS Sa Re Ga Ma”, earning accolades from esteemed judges including Pt. Rajan-Sajan Misra, Pt. Jasraj, Begum Parveen Sultana, and Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia. Sanjeev has also recorded a devotional album with playback singer Kavita Krishnamurthy and collaborated with noted actor Billy Crudup on a hit melody for Woody Allen's 1996 film "Everyone Says I Love You".
Sanjeev training and experience also include Western classical violin and choral/a cappella singing. His Western music background and deep knowledge of both Hindustani and Carnatic traditions has provided him with the rare ability to interpret Indian music to Western audiences through lecture-demonstrations and radio broadcasts. He currently hosts a widely acclaimed weekly radio show, Swaraanjali, highlighting the treasure of the subcontinent’s classical traditions through the medium of its popular music.