Aishwarya Vidhya Raghunath showed how a well-structured performance strikes an instant chord with the audience

Audience engagement often determines whether a concert has merely met the mark or given joy. Achieving this requires not just musical competence but thoughtful planning, an awareness of the audience and the ability to shape one’s presentation in real time. Aishwarya Vidhya Raghunath’s concert demonstrated a keen understanding of these dynamics.

One of the defining features of her performance was the clarity of raga exposition. From the opening phrases, her raga outlines were unambiguous, establishing identity early and sustaining it through well-structured development. This was particularly evident in the expansive alapanas of Kannada and Begada (‘Sri mathrubhootham’ and ‘Nadopasana’), where ideas unfolded logically without distracting detours. Violinist Hemalatha’s alapanas were musically assured and equally appealing.

In ‘Nadopasana’ (Tyagaraja), the niraval at ‘Tantri laya swara raga vilolulu’ stood out for its judicious choice of focal points and measured elaboration. The subsequent swara passages were marked by clarity and restraint, reinforcing the main ideas rather than overwhelming them. The tani avartanam by B.C. Manjunath sustained audience interest, with Bhagyalakshmi M. Krishna’s morsing adding distinctive rhythmic colour.

Aishwarya Vidhya Raghunath accompanied by R. Hemalatha (violin), B.C. Manjunath (mridangam) and Bhagyalakshmi M. Krishna’s morsing.

The choice to open the concert with the Kalyani Ata tala varnam ‘Vanajaksha’ proved effective in immediately establishing energy and attention.

‘Upacharamu chese’ was a thoughtful selection from the extensive Bhairavi list of Tyagaraja, with the niraval at ‘Ekantamunanu janaki erpadi unnadani’ explored mainly in the upper octave. The final melkala swaras, centred around the panchamam, resulted in a compact yet engaging exchange between the vocalist and violinist. ‘Mayamma’ in Ahiri exemplifies how minimalism, emotional truth and raga integrity can converge into a composition that demands depth over display — making it both a performer’s challenge and a rasika’s quiet reward. Aishwarya’s rendition was poignant and uncluttered, aligning with Ahiri’s tonal ethos.

The alapana in Aishwarya’s Gamakakriya RTP stood out for its measured gait and emphasis on gamaka-laden phrases rather than scalar brightness. Set to Khanda Triputa tala in khanda nadai, the pallavi unfolded with a steady sense of proportion. The pallavi line, ‘Madhuralaye mathanga tanaye’ was drawn from a composition by R.K. Shriramkumar. Ragamalika swaras were rendered at one avartanam each in Lalitha, Nariritigowla, Natabharanam, Vegavahini and Sri — ragas closely associated with Muthuswami Dikshitar’s compositional world.

Aishwarya’s grounding under Vegavahini Vijayaraghavan, daughter of T. Brinda, was evident in her approach to padams and javalis. This was most apparent in her rendering of the Atana composition by Tiruvottiyur Thyagarajan, presented as a slower version rather than the medium-tempo interpretation also sung in the Dhanammal family, with noticeable variations in sahitya and presentation. The javali ‘Naarimani neekai’ in Khamas stood out for its conversational tone. She concluded with a Hanuman Bahuk by Tulsidas to mark Hanuman jayanti.