HCL Concerts and Rhapsody Music Foundation launches ‘Carnatic Quest Junior’ – A Hunt for India’s Finest Young Carnatic Musicians

By India Education Diary Bureau Admin On Nov 10, 2021

Chennai : HCL Concerts, a platform aimed at identifying, nurturing and supporting artists in the Indian classical performing arts space, today introduced ‘Carnatic Quest Junior’, powered by the Chennai based Rhapsody Music Foundation. A one-of-a-kind contest, ‘Carnatic Quest Junior’ aims at identifying gifted Carnatic musicians in the age group of 12 to 18 years. These aspiring musicians will be identified across five categories, i.e. Carnatic vocal, Veena, Violin, Flute and Percussion instruments (Mridangam, Ghatam and Kanjeera). Winners of the talent hunt will get opportunities to showcase their talent to millions of music enthusiasts through the HCL Concerts platform as well as the HCL Music mobile app.

The Carnatic Quest Junior will follow a multi-stage talent identification program, including:

Invitation for entries – Aspiring artists from across the country can send across their entries in five categories, i.e. Carnatic Vocal, Veena, Violin, Flute and Percussions (Mridangam, Ghatam and Kanjeera) at https://www.hclconcerts.com/the-carnatic-quest/ till November 30, 2021. There is no application fee to participate in the contest.
Identifying talented performers – Entries for each round will be evaluated by senior Carnatic music performers, including Vocalists Ranjani and Gayathri, Violinist G J R Krishnan, Veena maestro Jayanthi Kumaresh, Flautist J A Jayanth and Percussionist B C Manjunath, along with the Rhapsody Music Foundation. The shortlisted musicians will be invited to submit entries for the next round.
There will be three rounds in total.
Winners Announcement – After three rounds of evaluating and shortlisting the most talented artists, three winners from vocals, and one each from the Veena, Violin, Flute and Percussion categories will be announced.

Sundar Mahalingam, President – Strategy, HCL Corporation said “At HCL Concerts, we have been on a quest to design a variety of platforms that help inculcate an appreciation of Indian classical performing arts. Identifying and nurturing the next-generation talent and offering them an opportunity to showcase their talent to our broad audience base is crucial as we believe that the future for these youngsters is bright especially with the onset of the digital music scene. ‘Carnatic Quest Junior’ will leverage our rich experience and expertise in technology, across multiple platforms including the physical or digital performance platforms and HCL Music app to bring recognition to the talented winners of the program. We look forward to seeing some great entries and winners emerging out of the entire process.”

Anil Srinivasan, Distinguished Classical Pianist, Kalaimamani award recipient and Founder of Rhapsody Music Foundation said, “Carnatic music is considered as one of the oldest systems of music in the world and India is known on the global stage for its musical talent, especially the ancient art forms. ‘Carnatic Quest Junior’ will ensure that this legacy is cultivated and nurtured for generations. The platform will identify young talent from across India and provide them a stage that is global in reach and scale. We are excited to join hands once again with HCL Concerts and hope to identify the finest young talent in classical music and nurture them to develop into accomplished musicians.”

The Carnatic Quest Junior follows the ‘The Carnatic Quest’ introduced in 2020 which received an overwhelming response from talented Carnatic musicians in the age group of 15-30 years of age from across the country. Both the initiatives have been conceptualized jointly by HCL Concerts and Rhapsody Music Foundation. The platforms are designed to emerge as virtual musical pilgrimages, attracting both, conservative and contemporary lovers of Carnatic music, while encouraging and promoting Indian classical music and dance across different age groups.