Social media has opened up opportunities for the new gen of artistes: Suma

Classical music thrives in Bengaluru; the city is teeming with young artistes who are producing impressive work, promising a bright future for the genre,” said Suma Sudhindran. The veena maestro’s foundation, the Tarangini Arts Foundation is celebrating its golden jubilee this weekend at Chowdiah Memorial Hall and they are set to have a musical event to commemorate the event. “Serendipitously, this is the 525th anniversary of Meera Bai. To commemorate this, I decided we would perform compositions based on and inspired by her work,” she tells us. In a chat with us, she talks about the beauty of live performances, what it is like navigating the digital age and more. Excerpts:

‘I felt destiny played a role in my becoming a musician’Like many South Indian girls, I was enrolled in veena classes. It wasn’t until after my master’s degree, when everyone encouraged me to pursue it professionally, that I felt destiny played a role in my becoming a musician.
‘I’ve always believed in using technology to your advantage’I’m very tech-savvy, having learned it all well before the pandemic. I believe I was one of the first to start online classes in Bangalore, teaching even before the pandemic hit. I also think social media and digital spaces have opened up many opportunities for younger generations. I’ve always believed in using technology to your advantage.
‘Live performance is all about audience connection’A live performance has its own unique beauty. You connect with the audience so much more effectively. Their attention is fully there.