Our Board

Kamini Natarajan

President and Director

Kamini Natarajan is a Hindustani classical vocalist, recording artist, and music educator based in Southern California. Raised in India, she comes from a family whose devotional singing tradition spans five generations. Her mother, Uma Natarajan, was her first teacher, introducing her to music at the age of six. Kamini later pursued rigorous classical training and graduated at the top of her university’s vocal music program.

Her musical education includes study with Pandit Arun Dravid of the Jaipur gharana. Her performance experience includes music festivals, All India Radio, and Indian national television. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2002, she has continued performing, recording, teaching, and developing collaborations across musical traditions.

Kamini’s artistic practice centers on ragas, improvisation, and the relationship between poetry and musical expression. Alongside Indian classical and devotional music, she has collaborated with musicians working in jazz, rock, electronic, Armenian, and Persian traditions. Her recording collaborations include work with Grammy-nominated artist Jai Uttal.

Her album Meera features eight bhajans attributed to Meera Bai, set to compositions created by her mother in the 1990s. She also recorded Echoes of the East with her daughter, Shivali Chandrashekar, and producer Ken Elkinson, bringing their shared musical interests into a collaboration across generations. Kamini is a Recording Academy Voting Member and a GRAMMY U mentor.

Teaching remains an important part of her work. She helps students from varied backgrounds develop their understanding of Indian classical music, combining attention to technique with listening, expression, and respect for tradition.

Kamini also brings an engineering background and extensive experience as a marketing and business executive. At Antara, she draws on both her artistic and professional experience to guide programming, build community relationships, and help the foundation develop responsibly.

Shivali Chandrashekar

Secretary and Director

Shivali Chandrashekar is a student and Indian classical vocalist whose musical development is closely connected to her family’s tradition of singing. She began her journey in Hindustani classical vocal music at a very young age under the guidance of her mother, Kamini Natarajan. At the age of five, she began formal training with Pandit Arun Dravid of the Jaipur Gharana. She currently continues her musical studies under Dr. Ashish Ranade of the Kirana Gharana. She has presented several solo Hindustani classical vocal concerts in Nashik, India, where she spends several weeks each summer pursuing intensive, in-person musical training. Beyond her own musical journey, she is actively involved in preserving and promoting the rich heritage of Hindustani classical music.

Her recording work includes Echoes of the East, an album created with her mother, Kamini Natarajan, and producer Ken Elkinson. The project gave her an opportunity to contribute as a vocalist to a collaboration that connects generations and explores Indian musical influences within a contemporary recording setting.

Beyond vocal music, Shivali has explored other dimensions of musical expression. She has studied tabla under Shri Subir Adhikari for the past six years, developing a deeper appreciation for the rhythmic foundations and intricate structures of Hindustani classical music. She also plays guitar and enjoys experimenting with the fusion of guitar and classical music. She hopes to explore innovative musical formats, including fusion pieces that gently introduce listeners to the beauty and complexity of the classical tradition without requiring prior familiarity with it. Through these explorations, she seeks to build bridges between traditional Indian classical music and contemporary musical sensibilities.

Shivali brings the perspective of a young musician to Antara. Her involvement helps the foundation consider how concerts, workshops, and performance opportunities can engage younger listeners and developing artists.

As Secretary, Shivali supports the foundation’s meeting records and organizational documentation. As a director, she contributes to discussions about Antara’s mission and programs, with particular attention to welcoming young people into the experience of Indian classical music.

Chandrashekar Sivaraman

Treasurer and Director

Chandrashekar Sivaraman serves as Treasurer and Director of Antara Music Awareness Foundation. His role centers on supporting the foundation’s financial oversight and helping ensure that its resources are used responsibly in furtherance of its public benefit purpose.

As Treasurer, his responsibilities include overseeing financial records, tracking income and expenses, and providing financial information for board review. This work helps the board understand the resources available for concerts, workshops, artist engagements, and other activities consistent with Antara’s mission.

His role also supports planning for the practical costs of programming, including artist fees, event expenses, and administrative needs. Clear records and thoughtful financial planning help Antara make informed decisions as it develops its activities.

As a director, Chandrashekar participates in the foundation’s governance and decisions about its direction. Together with the other board members, he supports a shared commitment to expanding opportunities for the public to experience and learn about Indian classical music.

His contribution to Antara is grounded in careful stewardship: helping the foundation turn its musical and educational goals into programs supported by sound organizational practices.