Sowmya Srinivasan

Sowmya Srinivasan, also known as Vidushi S. Sowmya, is a Carnatic vocalist, Vainika and Researcher born on 16 April 1969 in Tamil Nadu. She first learnt music from her father, Dr. M. Srinivasan, a Chemical Engineer passionate about Carnatic Music. She then learnt from Sangita Kalanidhi, Dr. S. Ramanathan. After several years, she trained from Sangita Kala Acharya, Smt. T. Mukta. She was a Second Rank Holder and Gold Medallist in B. Sc. (Chemistry) at Meenakshi College, Madras University (1990). 

She did an M. Sc. in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (1992). She won the Royal Institute of Chemistry Award for Chemistry quiz held at the school and college levels. She has written a paper on Microwave Enhanced Reactions in Carbohydrate Chemistry in Synthetic Communications. She received I.I.T. Blue for excellence in Academic and Cultural Activities (1992). She was the First Rank Holder of B.A. (Indian music) at the University of Madras (1996). She was the First Rank Holder and Gold Medallist in M.A. (Indian music) at the University of Madras (1998). She has a Ph. D. from the University of Madras (2012) for the dissertation, A study of the effect of temperature variations on the pitch of a double-headed drum (mridunga).

Sowmya Srinivasan performed her first concert debut at the samadhi of Sadasiva Brahmendra in Nerur. Her first performance was at the Madras Music Academy (1986). She has performed concerts internationally in Canada, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Sri Lanka, and Germany. She has performed in all the great Sabhas (Assembly) in India. She debuted as an actress in the movie Vaanavil Vaazhkai Click to look into! >> Read More... , released on 13 February 2015. 

She appeared as the guest judge on Vijay TV's music reality shows Airtel Super Singer and Airtel Super Singer Junior, Seasons 2, 3, and 4. She was a permanent judge on Raj TV's Carnatic music reality talent show Tanishq Swarna Sangeetham and Jaya TV's Carnatic music reality talent show Carnatic Music Idol, Seasons 1 and 2. She co-founded Carnatica (1998), a classical music and dance instruction, archival, and talent search dedicated institution. She is the co-author of Nadanubhava, the CD-ROM on Carnatic music. She is a visiting professor at the Music Academy Madras. She has been a member of the academic council of the Tamil Nadu Music and Fine Arts University and of the Governing body of the Kalakshetra Foundation.