Apoorva Krishna

Apoorva Krishna is an accomplished South Indian classical violinist, deeply rooted in the Carnatic tradition. She has been trained under the esteemed Lalgudi Srimathi and Anuradha Sridhar, and her musical journey spans more than fifteen years. Her art reflects a sincere devotion to Indian classical music while embracing a wider world of sound, allowing tradition and innovation to exist together.

In 2017, Apoorva became the first Indian artist to receive the prestigious Young Artist Grant from the London Tarisio Trust. Her academic path led her to Berklee College of Music, where she completed a master’s degree in contemporary performance and a Post Master’s Fellowship. These experiences expanded her understanding of diverse musical forms and inspired her to blend Indian classical expression with Western harmony and global genres.

This artistic vision took shape in her debut album, Intuition, a contemporary fusion work featuring eight original compositions. The album combines Indian classical influences and microtones with styles such as Latin jazz, flamenco, Western classical, waltz, bluegrass, and jazz fusion. It stands as a celebration of both the exclusivity of Indian classical music and the inclusivity of world traditions. The album includes a special collaboration with renowned vocalist Shankar Mahadevan on the track Ragamaya.

Apoorva’s original composition, Merging Parallels, received Honorable Mention at the 70th Annual BMI Student Composer Awards, held in New York. She was also featured on the Grammy-nominated album Shuruaat by the Berklee Indian Ensemble, marking her growing presence in global music circles.

Her performance journey includes rare moments with legends. She performed the Shakti masterpiece Lotus Feet with John McLaughlin and Ustad Zakir Hussain at Harvard Business School’s Klarman Hall. She has also shared the stage with artists such as Shankar Mahadevan, Bombay Jayashri, Aruna Sairam, and Vijay Prakash.

Apoorva has graced leading stages across the world, including Mumbai’s Neeta Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, the London Darbar Festival, Poland’s Jazz Jantar Festival, the Berlin Tagore Centre, Bogotá’s Jazz al Parque Festival, the Madras Music Academy, the National Centre for the Performing Arts Mumbai, the India Habitat Centre New Delhi, and the Sony Auditorium Madrid. Her work has been featured in publications such as Rolling Stone India, The Strad, The Hindu, Business Standard, Deccan Herald, New Music USA, Rock Street Journal, The New Indian Express, and The Times of India.

Her recognitions include the All India Radio A Grade, the Kalavanta Award from the Karnataka Fine Arts Council, the Naadbhed Sheikh Chinna Moulana Yuva Puraskar, the Madras Music Academy’s Best Accompanying Violinist Award, and the Dr. M. S. Subbulakshmi Fellowship in Music Award from Shanmukananda Fine Arts, Mumbai.

Apoorva’s album, Only Love is Real, features artists such as Varijashree Venugopal, Vijay Prakash, and Michael League. The work reflects her emotional bond with music and her ongoing effort to unite the purity of her roots with sounds that speak to the heart.