Dr Chithra Ramakrishnan hails from a musical family with a rich musical lineage. She is one of the most sought after Carnatic Vocalists and an exponent of Bharatanatyam based in the U.K. She is the Artistic Director of Shruthi UK, a South Asian Art Organisation founded in 2005, to promote South Indian Classical Music and arts in the UK
Chithra hails from a family of musicians with a rich musical lineage. Her doting parents noticed early her aptitude for dance and music. Her parents encouraged her and provided a favourable ambience to hone her talents under renowned Gurus in Bharatnatyam and Carnatic music.
She started her musical career under her mother Smt Susila Seetharamn, a senior Carnatic vocalist and later came under the tutelage of Shri Chalapuram Papa, one of the foremost disciples of Shri.Tiger Varadhacahrya and also under P.Vasudevan, (Senior AIR artist, Trichy) disciple of T.K.Rangachary.She further had the opportunity to learn under Madhoor P.Balasubramanyam, a senior disciple of Shri. Kanchana Subbarathnam.Currently, she is under the able guidance of renowned musician and musicologist Dr Prof Shri TV Gopalakrishnan.
She has performed extensively in India, Middle-east and in the United Kingdom. She has also featured on South Indian premier television channels and also performed on the All India Radio as a youth artist. She has also been regularly performing during the Madras Music season in recent years and has received critical acclaim on several occasions.
Her desire to propagate the rich South Indian art forms globally, led her to start Shruthi UK, a nonprofit organization, now based in Staffordshire. She has also made her debut as a playback singer in South Indian movies. She conducts workshops and interactive sessions with children and also with the community at large to create an awareness and interest in the rich Indian tradition-through music, dance and Indian culture.
With an MBA in Marketing & Finance & Human resources, Chithra holds a doctorate in Management.
As a cultural ambassador and entrepreneur, she is actively involved in working with children and young adults with Special needs and enriches their lives through South Indian Classical Music and dance as a holistic approach.
She is the Director of the British Carnatic Choir, which launched for the very first time in Britain in June 2015. Chithra is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, London. She has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Jubilee Honours 2022.
