ARTISTS
Seema Kasthuri - Lead Vocalist
Seema Kasthuri has been a practitioner, performer, and teacher of Carnatic(Indian) classical music for 20-plus years. She was trained by well-known teachers from India, such as Dr. Nagamani Srinath, Dr. Balasubramaniam, and Ustad Imrath Khan.
Seema has performed in Toronto, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Chicago, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Columbia, and Saint Louis. Seema has several music albums in classical, devotional, and contemporary genres and many music videos to her credit on youtube. She was a recipient of an artistic grant from the Regional arts commission for her project “Wind-Chyme,” a unique collection of fusion, classical, and RAP experimentation. She loves taking the contemporary approach to blending the beautiful ragas of South Indian classical music with western music.
Seema was awarded the “AKKA Idol” title at the American Kannada conference in 2012. The St. Louis community has lauded her services. She was honored by the Indian Association of Saint Louis, St. Louis Hindu Temple, Nashville Kannada Sangha, and St. Louis Sangama Association.
Seema Kasthuri serves as the artistic director of Soorya Performing Arts, a nonprofit organization to promote and nurtures Indian classical Dance and Music.
More details on Seema ji's website
Balaji Sivasubramanian – Violin
Balaji started their musical journey started at the age of three when he was introduced to Carnatic music. His first Guru was Sri Tirupati G Chakrapani, who developed his interests in Carnatic and many other forms of music. His next Guru, Govindapuram V Balaji, developed his interest in complex fingering patterns. His last and latest Guru, Padmashri Kalaimamani A. Kanyakumari, accepted him as a disciple and taught him the nuances and maturity of Carnatic music. She was instrumental in Balaji evolving into a wholesome musician. After a long break of almost eight years of break from Carnatic music, wherein he went into western, soft jazz, funk, and world music, Balaji got back into his old passion, Carnatic music. Balaji is an avid musician; apart from violin, he is versatile in playing more than ten musical instruments.
Balaji is an Aerospace major, an aviation systems engineer, a pilot, and an airplane builder who is building his own aerobatic airplane in his garage. His Balaji likes to paint, write poetry, fly planes, and jump out of perfectly normal airplanes from 15,000 ft with a parplanesen he is not working or playing.
Steve Davis - Drums
Drummer Steve Davis has performed with David Liebman, Bill Evans, Richie Beirach, John Pattitucci, Walt Weiskopf, Benny Golson, Ira Sullivan, Andy Laverne, and Lynne Arriale. He has over 200 recordings to his credit, including 12.
In addition to his extensive touring throughout Europe and North America, Steve served on the faculty of Jamey Aebersold Jazz Clinics from 1982-2008. He served on the Berlin Conservatory of Music faculty as a professor of jazz studies in 2000 and 2001, as well as Port Townsend in 2007. He has written six drum books, including a (2008) released book from Schott-Music Publishing, and has conducted educational clinics worldwide.
Steve is also a respected recording engineer in the jazz community, having engineered over 300 recordings. Steve was a Visiting Artist in Residence at Indiana University from 2000-2001 and served on the University of Southern Florida Tampa faculty from 2004-2008. Steve is currently on the faculty at Washington University and divides his time between freelancing and playing with his group.
Steve has recently finished 17 new play-along for jazz drummers. These are great for practicing soloing, comping, and general tune learning. They are beautifully recorded and feel as close to the real thing as it gets.
More details on Steve Davis's website
JACQUELYN G. KLEINE - Flute
JACQUELYN G. KLEINE, a classically trained Flutist, published Composer & Recording Artist, aligns her creative passion and artistry with her global mission to raise conscious awareness and healing heart coherence. Generally categorized under the NEW AGE genre, her Ambient Electronic music has a unique style that flows throughout her Neo-Symphonic, Soundscape, Space, World Fusion & Meditation music discography. For maximum healing and relaxing affect, most of her music is transposed to 432hz or 444hz. Both Hertz tunings are healing frequencies and align with higher conscious awareness.
Jacquelyn also has graduate studies in Special Education, and as a Music and Creative Arts Therapist and Music Teacher, she has worked with many individuals living with special needs. The Electric Flutist's albums & singles are regularly featured on global and national radio stations. Her most recent releases are "SNOWFALL," an acoustic Native American Flute single, and "AURORA," an Ambient Electronic Soundscape. All of her information and music links can be found at: jacquelyngkleine.com
Todd Mosby - Guitarist
Todd Mosby is a Midwestern Indian Jazz Guitarist and Composer. He has earned two ZMR Broadcasters Awards (2019, 2020) for best Contemporary Instrumental Albums, USA Songwriters Competition Awards (2021), and many Global Music Awards. He has appeared in Guitar World Magazine as well as many live national radio broadcasts.
Mosby has toured nationally at some of the finest Performing Arts Centers across America, such as Montalvo Arts, Kravis Center, and Soka University, to name a few. He is ranked as one of the top artists currently touring and recording today, according to BT Fasmer of New Age Music Guide.
Mosby's music is broadcast on over 300 syndicated, national, regional, and independent stations in the U.S. and Europe, crossing genres into the Contemporary Instrumental, Smooth Jazz, New Age, and Adult Contemporary listening markets.
He is the only guitarist admitted into the prestigious Imdhad Khani Gharana, India’s most prestigious family of musicians. Mosby is one of the few musicians in America who has mastered western composition, jazz improvisation, and Indian raga music forms and incorporates them freely as a part of his musical language.
With undergraduate work at Berklee College of Music and Graduate work at Webster University, Mosby is well-schooled in academia and well-seasoned as a performer.
More details on Todd Mosby's website
Prasanna Kasthuri - Mrudangist (Indian Drums)
Prasanna Kasthuri is a multi-faceted artist. He is a dancer, singer, drummer, and poet. He is a record-holder Bharathanatyam dancer who danced 24 hours nonstop to create a record in India. He is a great Kathak dancer who learned from Dr. Mayarao and legendary Birju Maharaj & Saswati Sen. He is a good vocalist who received training from scholars like Chinatalapalli Krishnamurthy and Ambi Bagavatar. He has given more than 10000 concerts and performances in the last 45 years of his career. And trained more than 20,000 students. He has composed music for 16 dance dramas and 150 music compositions and penned a book of music compositions for dance – “Natya Samhita-1”.
Prasanna learned mrudangam with veteran Mrudangist B R Seshadri in 1980’s. Later he continued to learn with many gurus such as Vidwan Cheluvaraju and visiting Mrudangists such as Ramesh Ramalingappa and S V Balakrishna from Bengaluru. Since 2016, he has been following Ummayalapuram Sivaraman sir’s style of playing. Prasanna plays electronic Handsonic to give more effects for a concert.
Prasanna has been honored by Karnataka Writers and Artist Guild with the title “Kala Yogi” (Seer of Arts). Apart from this, he was recognized all over Europe, USA, and India for his artistic abilities.
More details on Prasanna Kasthuri's website
Ben Coan - Bass
Ben Coan is a popular St. Louis bassist. He graduated from SIUE with a degree in jazz performance. He has lived as a working musician and teacher in Chicago, IL and southern China, and has given clinics/performed at Wuhan Conservatory, Shanghai Conservatory, Golden Jazz CMI, and JZ Club Shanghai. Upon returning to St. Louis in 2017, he began performing and recording with a variety of local groups such as the Steve Davis Trio, Kendrick Smith Trio, Greg Dallas, Farshid Etniko Soltani, Hot Club of St. Louis, Washington University Big Band, and St. Louis Big Band, specializing in both upright and electric bass.
Matthew Galik - Keys
Matthew was born in Carbondale, Illinois and came to St. Louis to study Physics at Washington University. Since graduating in 2019, he has begun a music career that involves accompanying, performing and teaching