Praveen D. Rao

No 102, Balaji Residency ‘A’ Block, Byrappa gardens, Katriguppe, Bangalore-85

Email – tablapdrao@gmail.com Ph No-9900524245

Overall experience
A versatile classical musician with an international reputation, working extensively as a Music director, composer, percussionist, stage Director, and arranger for over 30 years.
He is currently serving as the Principal of the Academy and Head of dept. Sub : Classical music, at COSMOS ATMA school of Music & Arts.
He has composed music for physical theatre, dance, soaps and movies apart from albums and advertisements
He has performed across the India, Great Britain, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Middle east, Canada and the USA.
Praveen is also a versatile multi-instrumentalist proficient in a range of percussion instruments, keyboards and electronic media.
He trained under renowned Guru Pt. R. V. Seshadri Gavai of Aravinda Sangeetha Vidyalaya and Tabla Maestro Guru Pt. Ravindra Yavagal
Praveen has also held/holds the following affiliations
  •  Vice President of Cine Musicians Union of Karnataka
  • Served on the Advisory boards of Abhinava dance academy and Natya
    stem Dance Company.
  •  He was also on the board of Youth artists & writers guild
  •  Trustee in Kalavedike
  • Served on the board of Karnataka Sangeetha Nritya Academy (2017-2019)
  • Founder president of Prakruti an NGO that believes in promoting social
    awareness through performing arts
International experience – Key highlights
  • Worked as a composer and performer for Motherland – A musical which
    celebrated the 200th year of abolishment of slavery act. Worked with the
    renowned artistic director Eugene Skeef who is on the board of The London
    Philharmonic orchestra & Jatinder Verma a renowned dramaturgy of UK. For this
    work, Praveen was awarded the PRS award for New Creations from the British Arts Council.
  • Worked in the British arts council funded production Conversation – the
    performing abilities of the multiple disabled along with Dancer and
    Psychologist Gig Payne.
  • Sampad, UK commissioned Praveen to compose music for Moving earth – a
    choreography involving 240 dancers to perform at the London cultural
    Olympiad alongside the 2012 London Olympics which was also presented in
    front of the queen.
  • Worked as a composer and performer, faculty in Chitraleka dance
    company, ‘Artist in residence’ Birmingham university, UK.
  • Worked with Moby Duck Theatre Company for productions such as ‘FIRE
    GIRL’, ‘MAZE MAKER’, ‘GRANNY VAMPIRE’, ‘BOPULUCHI’ etc.
  • Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham invited Praveen to specially compose
    music and perform in the children’s dance/theatre production ‘Princess
    Aubergine’.
  • He was invited by MILAP, Liverpool to compose and conduct workshops for
    Samyo and Tarang, the Leading National Youth Orchestra of UK performing
    South Asian Music.
  • Over the years, He has visited Canada as a composer and performer in
    Lada Pada’s Sampradaya Dance Company touring dance production
    VIVARTA, SHUNYA, HOWZZAT, PRALAYA (a special production fusing Balinese
    and Indian Music), SANKHYA, MANDALA etc.
  • Worked as a Composer for dance based multi starrer physical theatre
    production Taj premiered at Luminato Festival 2011 Toronto and toured
    Nationally in 2013.
  • He is also closely associated with “Three Aksha Institute of Performing arts.
    USA” and has composed music for many creative dance productions like,
    Prayog (Maths+Music+Movement=Magic), Flute to Conch, Natya Shastra
    etc.
  • He was commissioned to write an Indian music score for dance as a prelude
    to Gustav Holst’s Opera on Savitri performed by the Birmingham Symphony
    Orchestra.
  • Praveen is the co-founder of EARTH’N BEAT, a world music band, performing
    South Asian Contemporary Music. The Band premiered at the Saddlers Wells
    Theatre in London along with renowned playback singer Hariharan. The
    band also performed at various festivals in the UK including the Sangeetham
    festival, London, Birmingham Arts fest 2006, The Liverpool Tourism Awards
    Ceremony 2006 etc.
International Music & Dance festivals
Praveen has performed in many of the prestigious venues and festivals in the Music and Dance Circuits in India, USA, Canada and UK. He has performed at various National and International music and dance festivals like PATTADAKAL FESTIVAL, NAVARASPUR FESTIVAL, LORD MAYOR’S CULTURAL EVENT 1994 (BIRMINGHAM), WORLD VEERASHAIVA CONFERENCE 1997 (U.S.A.), SOORYA FESTIVAL, WORLD KONKANI CONFERENCE 2002 (TEXAS), SOORYA FESTIVAL, NISHAGANDHI FESTIVAL, AKKA (USA) 2014, KONARK FESTIVAL etc.
India experience – Key highlights
As a composer, Praveen has created a style of his own in creative music. Over the last two decades he has composed scores for leading theatre, Indian ballet, films and television.
As music arranger, he has been recognised for his creativity in fusing Hindustani music & Carnatic music with western techniques.
He has arranged background scores for various films under much acclaimed music directors like L. Vaidyanathan, Dr. C. Ashwath, and Vid. Lalgudi Jayaram etc.
His work for National award winning Indian Movies Stumble (English), Singaravva (Kannada), Sringaram (Tamil) & Namak ki Kankari (by M.S Satyu) has been highly appreciated by art critics.
Many of his composition for Tele-Serials have become iconic like ‘GODHULI’, ‘TULASI’, ‘GUPTAGAAMINI’, ‘BELADINGALAAGI BAA’, ‘LAALI’, ‘LAKUMI’, ‘LAKSHMI BAARAMMA’, and the ever so popular ‘MAGALU JANAKI’
Praveen has been involved in the Physical theatre scenario in various capabilities.
He has been a musician, composer & actor. He has directed many stage plays as well.
He also has acted in several Television soaps like Manvantara, Mukta, Asare, Tulasi, Munjaavu, Yashodhe, Amma, Avalu etc. which have received good appreciation from press and the public.
Praveen has had the privilege of composing music to more than 200 full length features for a host of dance and theatre institutions in India like Natya Stem Dance Company, Abhinava Dance Company, Nritarutya Dance Company to name a few.
  • Rama Katha Vismaya –  A live musical ballet glorifying Ramayana and
    choreographed by dance duo Smt. Nirupama and Sri Rajendra from
    Abhinava Dance Company.
  • Performance in the prestigious Ramanavami Celebrations at Fort high school
    grounds, Bangalore, Kodachadri Utsav, Nadam music and dance festival etc.
  • Swara Taranga – Musical tribute by the eminent singer Smt. M D Pallavi at
    Chowdaiah memorial hall, Bangalore
  • S Janaki live show as part of Ramanavami celebrations in Anekal 
  • 2 Successive participations as part of the prestigious Namma Bengaluru
    awards
  • Yadein, a musical extravaganza with the world famous singer, Hariharan
  • Variations a contemporary world fusion music with renowned young singer
    and flautist, Varijashree Venugopal
  • Performances in the famous Bengaluru Ganesha Utsav golden jubilee
    celebrations in Bangalore, 2012.
  • 100 member Orchestra power packed performance in 51st Ganeshotsav
    celebrations in Bangalore, 2013
  • Viveka Sangeetha Namana – A successful grandiose musical tribute to
    commemorate the 150th year of Vivekananda’s birth anniversary in Mysore
    (2012), Bangalore (2013) Bellary, Belgaum, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Calcutta,
    Shimoga, Bangalore and many other places.
  • Ugadi special performance in Infosys witnessed by all corporate bigwigs
    including Mrs Sudha Murthy.
  • Praveen has been composing music for the Karnataka Tableaux for the
    national Republic Day parade for the past 9 years.
Accolades (Awards)
  • ‘ARYABHATTA AWARD’ – 1998, 2000 and 2010
  • ‘SWARAMANDARA AWARD’ by HOMBALE – 1998 and 2000
  • ‘G. V. ATRI AWARD’ by UPASANA – 2000.
  • ‘SILICON JAYCEES AWARD’ – 2003.
  • E TV Best Music Composer (GUPTAGAMINI) – 2004.
  • Title – ‘KALAVATAMSA’ (GOKULAM) – 2010.
  • COLORS KANNADA Best Music Composer (CHITTE HEJJE) – 2014.
  • COLORS KANNADA Best Music Composer (LOVE LAVIKE) – 2016
  •  Title – ‘SANGEETHA RATNAKARA’ by Shivapriya School of Dance – 2019
  • Title – ‘NATYA SANGEETHA SARASWATHI’ by Natyasaraswathi Kuchipudi Dance
    Centre, Vijayawada – 2019
  •  ‘ANANYA NRITYA PURASKAR’ By Ananya Cultural Academy – 2019
  • Title – ‘SHREE KALA JYOTHI’ By the Bangalore Gayana Samaja – 2021
  • Title – ‘KALA CHAKRAVARTHI’ by Shivapriya School of Dance – 2022
  • Title – ‘KARNATAKA KALASHRI’ State award by Karnataka Sangeetha Nritya
    Academy – 2022
  • ‘SAMBHRAMA PURASKAR’ Award by Sangeetha Sambhrama – 2023

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