His Majesty King Charles III, King of the United Kingdom awarded Ace violinist Dr Jyotsna Srikanth with the prestigious MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in his birthday honours list, the third highest civilian award in the UK for her contribution to music internationally on December 12th 2023 at the Windsor Castle, UK. She has many firsts to her credit. A Bangalorean by heart and by birth she is the first Carnatic musician to receive this prestigious award. Other international stars in the same league who have been awarded an MBE in the past included Adele, Ed Sheeran and Marcus Rashford.

Jyotsna is the most sought after South Indian Carnatic violinist and composer known for her versatility and ability to collaborate with different genres seamlessly and with ease. She has been trained in the western classical system too and has been travelling worldwide, connecting cultures and producing innovative projects. She has played the violin for more than 300 South Indian movies. She has given numerous Carnatic solo, jugalbandhi and jazz fusion concerts apart from accompanying legendary Carnatic musicians like Dr Balamuralikrishna.

Jyotsna has composed and performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra – UK, Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra – Hungary, VMU Chamber Orchestra – Lithuania, Krystal Quartet – Sweden, Ligeti Quartet – UK and Vindla Quartet – Sweden. Her prime collaborations include Nordic Raga – with Swedish Folk, Raga Garage – with western classical violin, Carnatic Connection – with Bollywood Brass Band and Maya Jazz – with Balkan Jazz. She has taken Carnatic music to remote parts of Europe and is one of the founders of Dhruv Arts & London International Arts Festival, where she has been curating and presenting Carnatic music to new audiences along with other world music genres.

  1. You have been practicing and have mastered the art of music and have been an acclaimed artist. How did it all start and how did you find your calling?
    The journey all commenced when I was just five years old, kickstarted by an exhilarating concert by the legendary artist Kunnakudi. This was a moment that not only inspired me but planted the seeds of musical curiosity that only continue to grow even till today. After coming home from the concert, I picked up two broomsticks and imitated violin playing. That’s when my mother recognised my interest and it’s only been a learning journey ever since. My mother Rathna Srikantiah was my first musical tutor and I found myself playing my first show at the age of 9! I later learnt under the legendary RR Keshavamurthy. I started to accompany vocalists from the age of 13; this along with intense exposure to Carnatic classical music aided me to hone my skills further. Simultaneously, I started learning western violin from VS Narasimhan, made easier by my proficiency in Indian classical and acute interest in other genres and styles of music.

    As my concert journey began, I also had my debut in Indian cinema music, playing under the direction of the likes of Ilaiyaraja. I’ve dipped my feet into all sorts of various collaborations, genres, technicalities and more.

    Apart from performing south Indian classical concerts, I formed my own fusion band with the aim of delivering Indian raagas in a contemporary manner, making it exciting for both classical music connoisseurs and masses. Since then, it’s just been moving ahead with music taking me to every corner of the globe and giving me opportunities to collaborate with musicians from around the world.
  1. What have been the highpoints of your musical journey so far?
    Performing with the London Philarmonic Orchestra at Wembley stadium for an audience of 60,000 people.

    Performing at the Buckingham Palace for the inauguration of the meeting of heads of Commonwealth countries.

    Receiving an MBE (Member of the order of the British Empire), the third highest civilian award in the UK, from His Majesty King Charles.
  1. How did you evolve and are still evolving in your creative space?
    I shaped myself from being a south Indian Carnatic violinist and adapted to be able to play different genres. By collaborating with different musical outfits, I gained experience of different styles while strengthening mine. I experimented with Swedish folk artists, Balkan jazz players, string quartets, philharmonic orchestras and more, each leaving behind cherished memories and valuable lessons to learn from. I will continue to experiment with music with even more diverse genres, thereby widening the scope of my music
  2. Some of the places across the world and in India where you have performed at and which ones have been your favourite?
    I have personally enjoyed playing at the South bank centre – London, Celtic Connections – Glasgow, Mueseo Fundacao Oriente – Lisbon, Womad – UK, North Atlantic Fiddle Convention – Abeerdeen, Forde Festival – Norway, Etnosoi Festival – Helsinki, Mysore Palace, Sacred Music Festival – Jodhpur.
  3. Your favourite holiday destinations?
    My favourite holiday destinations in India would be Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. Outside of India it would be the Isle of Skye – Scotland and Iceland.
  4. Would you like to tell us more about your other passions and hobbies that people don’t know of?
    I enjoy cooking different vegetarian dishes and reading medical journals. I enjoy great cinema too!
  5. Tell us more about your experience with King Charles III, and being awarded with the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in his birthday honours list, for your contribution to music internationally at the Windsor Castle, UK.
    I was pleasantly surprised when I realised that the MBE had been bestowed upon me, as well as a swell of pride that my dedication and work in this industry has been duly recognised. I’ve always visited Windsor Castle as a visitor and my first time visiting as a special guest definitely felt amazing. King Charles and I had a conversation about my work so far and my future endeavours.
  6. What are your future plans?
    My future plans are to compose new themes and perform with string orchestras across the world. I want to identify musically talented, underprivileged children and provide them with good musical education.