Acclaimed a “musical ambassador” and “pride of India” by The Times of India, Indian-American percussionist and educator Rohan Krishnamurthy imagines new musical intersections to bridge diverse cultures and communities. Krishnamurthy’s cross-genre artistry draws from his formal study of south Indian classical Carnatic music, at once propagating the ancient tradition and expanding it across global genres.
Krishnamurthy has performed internationally since the age of nine as a distinguished soloist and collaborator in diverse music and dance ensembles. He has had the honor of sharing the stage with leading artists of Indian classical music, including M. Balamuralikrishna, T.N. Krishnan, N. Ramani, Chitravina N. Ravikiran, T. M. Krishna, and Ranjani and Gayatri. In addition, he has also spearheaded numerous cross-genre collaborations with orchestras, jazz ensembles, and global musicians. Krishnamurthy premiered Rohan, a concerto for mridangam and percussion ensemble written for him by Payton Macdonald, at The Juilliard School in New York City and San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Since 2017, he has toured “Written in Water” with the Ragamala Dance Company and jazz trumpeter/Iraqi vocalist and santur artist Amir ElSaffar, including performances at the Kennedy Center, Harris Theater, and NYU Abu Dhabi.
Having received initial training on the mridangam with Damodaran Srinivasan in his hometown of Kalamazoo, Michigan, he continued advanced training from legendary maestro Guruvayur Dorai in Chennai, India for over a decade. He also studied drum set with Alan Hall at the California Jazz Conservatory. A celebrated educator, Krishnamurthy received a Ph.D. in musicology from the Eastman School of Music as a Provost’s Fellow. He also directs the award-winning RohanRhythm Percussion Studio, which has attracted dozens of students of all ages from around the globe.
Acclaimed a “musical ambassador” and “pride of India” by The Times of India, Indian-American percussionist and educator Rohan Krishnamurthy imagines new musical intersections to bridge diverse cultures and communities. Krishnamurthy’s cross-genre artistry draws from his formal study of south Indian classical Carnatic music, at once propagating the ancient tradition and expanding it across global genres.
Krishnamurthy has performed internationally since the age of nine as a distinguished soloist and collaborator in diverse music and dance ensembles. He has had the honor of sharing the stage with leading artists of Indian classical music, including M. Balamuralikrishna, T.N. Krishnan, N. Ramani, Chitravina N. Ravikiran, T. M. Krishna, and Ranjani and Gayatri. In addition, he has also spearheaded numerous cross-genre collaborations with orchestras, jazz ensembles, and global musicians. Krishnamurthy premiered Rohan, a concerto for mridangam and percussion ensemble written for him by Payton Macdonald, at The Juilliard School in New York City and San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Since 2017, he has toured “Written in Water” with the Ragamala Dance Company and jazz trumpeter/Iraqi vocalist and santur artist Amir ElSaffar, including performances at the Kennedy Center, Harris Theater, and NYU Abu Dhabi.
Having received initial training on the mridangam with Damodaran Srinivasan in his hometown of Kalamazoo, Michigan, he continued advanced training from legendary maestro Guruvayur Dorai in Chennai, India for over a decade. He also studied drum set with Alan Hall at the California Jazz Conservatory. A celebrated educator, Krishnamurthy received a Ph.D. in musicology from the Eastman School of Music as a Provost’s Fellow. He also directs the award-winning RohanRhythm Percussion Studio, which has attracted dozens of students of all ages from around the globe.
