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Speakers

  1. World Music Conference

Dr Ramya Palacholla, MD MPH

Ramya Palacholla is a Primary Care Physician and a faculty member of the Harvard Medical School. She’s also an assistant professor at Tufts University school of medicine and Associate Director for health informatics and analytics. Dr Palacholla presented her research on innovative technologies at the World Economic Forum. Dr Palacholla’s research on an “Innovative Tumor Response Forecasting Model in Breast Cancer Patients" was awarded the first position in the Harvard Ideation Challenge and was also selected as one of the top six finalists for the Boston Scientific and Google Connected Patient Challenge, 2018, . She is the co-author of one of the first books to be written for clinicians on novel treatment methods for the management of Military Sexual Trauma in war veterans. She was also honored with the "Woman of the Year" award in 2019 by the INE News for her contributions to health care innovation in the U.S and was featured as one of the top “Women to Watch in Health IT” by Beckers Hospital Review in 2019.

Dr Newton Kondaveti MD

Dr Newton is a Medical Doctor who has specialized in Past Life Regression Therapy and other Holistic Therapies. He founded the Life Research Academy to spread the messages of Self-realized Spiritual Masters and travels extensively all over the world conducting meditation and past life regression workshops and seminars. He has played a commendable role as the Organizing Chairman of the Global Congress of Spiritual Scientists – a unique platform for New Age Spiritual Scientists from all over the world. He is the Founder President of the Association for Regression and Reincarnation Research and he organized the first ever Past Life Regression Convention in India to increase awareness about Past Life Regression and establish it as the one of the most powerful of holistic therapies. Dr Newton founded the Life University, a Global Centre for the learning of Spiritual Science, modelled on the lines of the ancient “Takshashila University” and “Nalanda University”.

Bernhard Schimpelsberger

Bernhard Schimpelsberger composes genre - defying music that features a unique palette of percussion instruments from all around the world. Bernhard grew up in Austria, deeply rooted in Jazz and Western classical music, but it was his studies in India that shaped his innovative approach to rhythm and music. Inspired by his countless travels, he explores rhythm as a universal language which allows him to combine sounds from India, Europe, Cuba or Africa. He has composed music for orchestras, art installations and several contemporary dance shows. His unique approach to rhythm creates cinematic textures that are in high by artists across many genres. His previous collaborators are Anoushka Shankar (sitar), Akram Khan (Tanz) or Gwilym Simcock (Piano).

Ben Parry

Ben is Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, co-Director of the professional choir London Voices and Assistant Director of Music and Bye -Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge. He is an advisor of the British Carnatic Choir His compositions and arrangements are published by Peters Edition, Oxford University Press and Faber Music, and he has made over 100 recordings . He is also a house composer for production music company Audio network.

Dr Aruna Thampy

Aruna Thampy. Doctorate in vocal music (Karnatic music) from Mysore University. Postgraduate from Delhi University in Vocal music. Graded artist from All India Radio (Delhi and Bangalore) for Hindustani music. Worked as HOD - Center for performing arts, Dayanand Sagar Institutions, Bangalore. WORKED AS MUSIC TRAINER IN Indian embassy School, Saudi Arabia for a very short period. Currently working as the principal of music school "Raagaalaya School of Music"-from 2013 with students from all around the world(Saudi Arabia, India, Dubai, Singapore, Abuhabi, Al ain etc) .

Dr Vasudha Prakash

Dr Vasudha Prakash is a visionary educator, social entrepreneur and professional academician with more than 30 years of experience in the education and disability sector. After returning from the US, where she was a tenure-track faculty, she started an NGO, V-Excel Educational Trust in Chennai, a pioneering initiative to provide life-span all-encompassing services to persons with cognitive and developmental challenges.. Under her guidance, the V-Excel Educational Trust now 13 centres in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Dr Prakash is a trained hypnotherapist and a past life regression therapist with her initial training from Dr Brian Weiss and later from California Institute of Hypnotherapy. She uses some of those techniques for her therapeutic work. She is a speaker at various conferences and presents papers nationally and internationally. Her dedication and involvement in the field of special needs has won her various awards, such as ‘Distinguished Board Member Award’ at the Princess Haya Award for Special Education (PHASE), in the year 2017, the ‘Indian Achiever’s Award’ in the year 2017,

PUJA

Puja Bhalla has completed M.Sc. and M.Phil. in Counselling and Assessment from the Women's Christian College, Chennai.. Her interest in Autism began with her project on Music and Autism, a journey that culminated in her working in V-Excel as a Counsellor. She is a play therapist, teacher, curriculum guide and conducts educational assessments. Her knowledge of anthroposophy and art makes her a creative therapist who is ready to explore beyond boundaries.

Neha Bharadwaj

Neha Bharadwaj is the programme coordinator for school programmes at V -Excel. She has over nine years of experience working with children across all disabilities. She is a graduate in Literature and has done her training in Montessori Education. She is a diploma holder for International Teaching and Training from Cambridge University. She has also completed five years of IPMT Training by Anthroposophical Medical Society in India. She is a gifted musician, excellent teacher and uses the arts of movement, art, speech ,drama ,painting in her teaching .

Padmashri Sumitra Guha

Sumitra Guha, is a world renowned Indian classical musician and top-grade artist of All India Radio. She is an ambassador of Indian music and has performed in prestigious forums all over India and the world. She has been awarded the Padma Shri for Art (One of India's highest civilian honours) and an outstanding artist with ICCR.

Siji Varhese

Siji is an International Behavioural facilitator, TEDx Speaker and is the recipient of UN Karmaveer Chakra and the International WEE (Women Excellence Empowerment) Rising Women award for her service to the Women community to enable them to unleash their best version.(Edited)

Michael Makhal

Michael Makhal (ALCM) is a Violinist, Composer, Conductor and Educationist from India. He is an Associate of the London College of Music (Music Composition). One of his prominent engagement was playing with the Delhi Symphony Orchestra for the prestigious classical music festival 'Asia Orchestra Week' at the World-famous Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, Japan in 2007. In 2014, Michael was commissioned as a Composer by the Scokendia Ensemble of the Glasgow Culture 2014 for the XX Comonwealth Games. He witnessed his first World premiere of his original composition 'Spirit of India' at the Stevenson Hall of the Royal Conservatory of Scotland as part of the Festival. He attended Masterclasses at the Luci Della Ribalta International Festival in Italy for three consecutive summers to upgrade his conducting skills with Italian Conductor Maestro Alessandro Viale. Makhal is the Director of Music at the IndoEuropean Orchestra, believed to be the first Western Classical Music Orchestra from India to perform in Europe. The concert was held at the prestigious Danube Palace Hall in Budapest, Hungary on August 2019. He is the Creator of music e-learning platform www.musiclesson.in.

Dr Sabin Badea

Sabin Badea is a Doctor (MD) specialized in Paediatric Stomatology, music practitioner and cultural entrepreneur. Growing up with doctor parents and musician relatives, music and health have been mingling in his environment. Since started meditating with musical background, he became finally aware of how powerful music is in changing emotional states-especially subconsciously. Being Eastern-Orthodox Christian, has also been exposed to the oriental sound-and the different tranquil moods it brings. This opened my quest for “what is that sound that makes me feel this way?? And why?”. Stumbled upon the modal music, the maqam world and their explicit indication of mood inducing/modulating.

Dr Cleopatra David

She is a Musicologist, PhD and a lyrical Soprano. Cleopatra graduated from the National Music University , Bucharest and pursued her Master in Choir conducting and obtained PhD in Musicology in 2010. Her professional activity includes performing arts and cultural management and entrepreneurship. She organised Sangit Chamber Ensemble Concert seasons, The Spring of Spirit Festival , Conference series at Metropolitan library, International Singing Masterclass with Mezzo-soprano Aura Twarowska at Romanian Athenaeum in 2018. Her own International singing masterclass in Vaasa in Finland ,2017. She is the co-organiser for Junge Talent Masterclass 2016 together with Los Angeles- Moscow Music School and Austrian Imperial Arts.

Dr Padma Mallela

Padma has been the head of Sangeetha Bharathi and founded it back in 2004. She has, to her credit, over 100 students and 15 graduates across New Zealand, Australia, India and USA. Dr Padma is a PhD graduate in Carnatic music and has been performing for the past 30 years. Her aim is to spread the art of Carnatic music to as many people as possible and make it available to anyone who wants to learn.

Shantha Ratii

Born and raised in Singapore, Shantha Ratii started her “Pas de Deux” with dance at the early age of five, sparking a long and passionate relationship that not only spanned over 40 years of her life but over the continents of the globe. Shantha Ratii is a multifaceted personality – a dancer, teacher, choreographer, cultural activist and film- maker. She has had exclusive training under some of the most eminent dance gurus of India and Singapore, like Gurus Padmashree Adyar Lakshman, Padmabushan Kalanidhi Narayanan, Oyur Govinda Pillai and Padamabushan Raja Radha Reddy, Padmabushan Vempati Chinna Satyam, K P Bhaskar and Neila Sathyalingam in Bharathanatyam, Kathakali and Kuchipudi. She now directs her energies towards the promotion of Kuchipudi through her innovative works and the Antara Foundation, which she has instituted for the promotion of Indian performing and visual arts. She has scripted and directed several TV documentaries. “And Miles to Flow”, a 35 mm film on Asian dance theatres, was selected twice for the International Film Festival.

Dr Prakash Sontakke

Vocalist , Multi-Instrumentalist , Composer , Director Filmmaker , Innovator, Motivational Speaker and Traveller . He is performing various Genres of music as well as performing Classical and Fusion on the Hawaiian Slide Guitar and various other instruments .His concerts are marked with a unique sense of creativity and exploration. A Co-Composer , Vocalist and Guitarist on the Grammy Winning Album “WINDS OF SAMSAARA” and the only one to have won the Independent World Music Awards, USA and the Nashville Award for composers .An A grade artiste from Akashvani and Doordarshan with over 2000 Concerts experience Prakash has toured extensively with his troupes namely “Dr Prakash Sontakke Group” (Progressive Hindustani Crossover ), and International Trio “Lehera” (World Fusion )

Rainer Pusch

Pusch received saxophone lessons from the age of twelve. He studied mathematics and physics at University of Heidelberg and he completed his intermediate diploma and became a professional musician. From 1977 completed his training at Berklee College of. During this time he played with Doug Hammond, went on international tours with the crew of Frede’ric Rabold and recorded his first album with his own quartet in 1980. In 1984, In addition to his combos, he founded a ‘big band’ in Heidelberg , with whom he toured the south of France in 1986 and with Art Farmer and Peter Herzbolzheimer appeared. In 1988 he performed his setting of the poem “Die Dunkelheit its da” at the Mannheim Jazz Festival . The following year he toured with Horace Parlan and worked in a duo with Alex Donner. In 1992 he toured with Peter Bockius in Indonesia and moved to southern France, where he worked with musicians like Siegfried Kessler and Patrice Heral. Since 1997 he has dealt extensively with Indian music, worked for Bollywood studios as well as with musicians such as Louis Banks and Amit Heri and with his own Indo jazz group Karuna.

Dr Kanniks Kannnikeswaran

Dr Kanniks Kannikeswaran, popularly known as Kanniks, is an Indo-American musician, scholar, composer, writer and music educator based out of Cincinnati, OH. He is a visionary musician, composer, music educator and writer with several recordings, productions and scores to his credit. Often referred to as 'The Magical Musician from Madras' Kanniks' skill lies in his ability to create captivating music easily accessible to a broad audience base, blending complex features of diverse World Music forms. Kanniks is a recent recipient of the prestigious McKnight Visiting Artist Fellowship (Minnesota) and the Ohio Heritage Fellowship. He is hailed as the pioneer of the Indian American choral movement. He has founded and directed Indian American community choirs in Cincinnati OH, Bethlehem PA, Houston TX and Tampa FL and created a large repertoire of choral music based on raagas.

Helen Brice UKCP MUPCA BACP FRSA MA BA(Hons)

Brice is an experienced behaviour therapist; I have expertise in working with people with problematic personality styles. I run weekly skills classes (Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy) in Covent Garden for those with symptoms of emotional over control (ideal for perfectionistic thinkers, workaholics, chronic depressives, those no the autistic spectrum)., and workshop presenter. Having worked for over 20 years in the music business, mostly as Manager and Producer for composer Karl Jenkins, the industry inspired hee to train in later years as a psychotherapist. Thus, she formed STIMMUNG, Britain's first practice specialising in psychotherapy and skills coaching for musicians, performers and those working in a creative field. She also offers the Stimmung Therapy Programme. This is a unique course of short term, intensive therapy for musicians that meet the criteria for trauma work with fellow musician and psychotherapist Miranda Jackson, alongside skills teaching and coaching. She is listed in the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) Directory. As a therapist at STIMMUNG, I have unique attunement with musicians and performers.

Maestro Jin Wang

The China-born Austrian conductor Jin Wang belongs to the most distinguished artists of the present. He was winner of 8 leading international competitions in Europe, among them "Prague Spring" in Czech Republic (Rafael Kubelik), "Malko" in Copenhagen and "Toscanini" in Parma, Italy etc. Jin Wang is also the 1st Asian-born conductor who was awarded Professor for Conduct and Orchestra Education in Europe (Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm). He is the 1st China-born conductor who became General Music Director (GMD) in Germany: At the Würzburg Opera he guided the orchestra to maximum artistic performance and evoked enthusiasm with audience and newspapers. He worked as a Guest Professor at the Music Universities in Gothenburg and Stockholm etc. and is invited as a Jury member to renowned competitions, such as “Gregorz Fitelberg” in Poland and “Jorma Panula” in Finland. His most successful students were Tomas Netopil, Josep Caballe and Eivind Gulberg-Jensen.

Harshitha Krishnan

Harshitha Krishnan is a performing and recording artist and music educator of Indian origin from Lagos, Nigeria. Hailing from a strong background in western classical music, she embraced soul, R&B, alternative, jazz, Indian folk and other world music styles, creating her own distinctive and eclectic sound: a fusion of Indian and contemporary western elements. Performing her original music as well as her arrangements of popular songs from around the world, Harshitha creates a singular musical experience that takes listeners on a journey of unfiltered emotions, exploring sounds and textures from around the world. An artist with a vision to affect positive change in attitudes towards women, mental health, the LGBTQIA+ and race, Harshitha aligns her social, philosophical and political views with the nature of the music she performs.

Dr Hemlatha Dadi

Dr Hemlatha Dadi

Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, UK
Dr. Hemalatha Dadi, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. I have been yoga trainer and practitioner for a number of years. I conducted yoga workshops for health care professionals in my hospital and West Yorkshire and recently at British Association of physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) mid year conference 2020.

Dr Pallavi Vedantham

Dr. Pallavi Vedantam is a passionate immunologist along with a strong background in microbiology and food and nutritional sciences. Currently she works as senior scientist pursuing research in Immuno-oncology entailing detection of cancer biomarkers and effects of immunotherapy on the tumor microenvironment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NY. Apart from this she is an avid hiker with deep rooted interest in music, culinary sciences and theology.

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