U. Rajesh

Uppalapu Rajesh, popularly known as Mandolin Rajesh, is an accomplished Indian mandolin player, composer, and music director. Born on May 17, 1977, in Palakollu, Andhra Pradesh, he belongs to a family deeply rooted in music. He is the younger brother of the legendary Carnatic mandolin pioneer U. Srinivas. Music entered his life early, guided by his father and elder brother, and he began playing Carnatic classical music on the mandolin at the age of six.

His first public performance took place in the presence of the revered Kanchi Paramacharya, who initiated him into the world of music. From the age of ten, Rajesh started performing alongside his brother, gradually building a distinctive voice on the electric mandolin. His playing reflects the discipline of the Carnatic tradition while embracing global soundscapes.

Mandolin Rajesh has performed in over fifty countries and appeared at world-renowned venues such as the Lincoln Center in New York, BBC Live in London, Melbourne Concert Hall, Cité de la Musique in Paris, and major stages across Europe, the United States, Canada, the Middle East, and Greece. His performance in New York was listed among the best concerts of the year by The New Yorker. He has also performed with leading orchestras, including the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra and the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra.

His collaboration on John McLaughlin’s album Floating Point earned a Grammy nomination, bringing global recognition to his artistry. Rajesh has released several solo and collaborative albums, including Amalgamation, Spirits, Following My Heart, and Into the Light. He has worked with eminent musicians such as Ustad Zakir Hussain, Ustad Sultan Khan, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shankar Mahadevan, Hariharan, Louis Banks, Mike Marshall, Sivamani, Niladri Kumar, and many others. In 2014, he formed the band Srishti with singer Karthik.

Deeply spiritual, he is a devotee of the Kanchi Paramacharya and Sri Sathya Sai Baba, before whom he has performed on several occasions. Rajesh is also one of the directors of the Srinivas Institute of World Music in Chennai, a school that offers free musical education to students.

Through classical concerts, global collaborations, recordings, and teaching, Mandolin Rajesh continues to expand the voice of the mandolin while remaining firmly anchored in the soul of Carnatic music.