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Dr.S.A.K.Durga is a Musicologist, Ethnomusicologist and performer of
Indian Classical (North & South) Music. She is the founder - director of
the Centre for Ethnomusicology, Chennai. She earned her Masters and
Doctorates in Indian Music and Ethnomusicology from Madras University, India
and Wesleyan University, U.S.A. She did her post - post doctoral research in
Ethnomusicology at Yale University, U.S.A.
Dr.Durga is associated with several Universities in India and overseas in
different academic capacities. Recently she been made Professor Emeritus at the
Departmenr of Indian Music, University of Madras. Chennai, India.
She has to her credit six publications (Vallala Raja Yakshgana,
Voice-culture, Opera in South India, Research methodology for Music,
Ethnomusicology and Indian Music in the context of Independence) besides her
many research papers in the Indian and Overseas professional Journals. She
has presented papers in National and International seminars, Conferences and
Symposia in India and abroad and has won best paper awards for some of her
papers in India and Overseas.
Dr.Durga is the recipient of the prestigious Eleanor Roosevelt
International Fellowship of International Federation of University of Women,
Geneva. Her name has been entered in the International who's who women of
achievement published by International Biographical Centre, England, as the
highest qualified woman musicologist with earned degrees in Music - Two
Masters and Two Ph.Ds from Indian and American Universities in Music.
Dr.Durga is the Indian representative of the Commonwealth Music Association,
London, U.K.
Dr.Durga learnt Karnatak music from her mother and later from the great
stalwarts of Karnatak Music-Madurai Mani Iyer, Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer,
Dr. T. Viswanathan, Ramnad Krishnan and Dr.Balamurali Krishna. She has learnt
Hindusthani classical music from Prof.Mohammad Munawar of New Delhi. She has
given music concerts from her very early age and has performed in U.S.A,
U.K., South Africa, Australia, Japan, Cyprus, Italy & Srilanka.
Her studentship at World Music Program at Wesleyen University, U.S.A. and
at Yale University, U.S.A. enabled her to learn other styles of music such as
Western Music, Indonesian, Afro-American and Chinese musics. Her Post
Doctoral study was on comparative study of Gregorian chants with Vedic and
Siva hymns at yale University, U.S.A. With her background of other systems of
music, she has produced and performed in many Avant-garde music performances
at U.S.A and U.K. interlocking the different styles of music which were
highly applauded. She has been invited to perform before the Queen of
Elizabeth in London. She has been awarded the Visiting Fellowship of the
British Council which enabled her to get the guidance of the World famous
Violin maestro Lord Yehudi Menuhin for creative ethnomusicology. She has been
invited by the Rockefeller Foundation, U.S.A. to conduct research on creative
Ethnomusicology as their resident guest at the Bellagio Centre at Italy.
Dr.Durga has been awarded the title "ISAIKALAISELVER" with Gold
medal and cash award by one of the prestigious organisations in Chennai for
her academic and performing skills and the title "Skylark of India"
was awarded by the American Theatre group, New York, U.S.A.
Dr.Durga is a pioneer in the field of research in Voice-culture for
singers in India and received her first research Degree for her dissertation
on Voice-culture from the Madras University, India. She specialised on the
psychology of singing in U.S.A. She conducts Voice Counselling for singers at
Chennai in the Voice Counselling unit at the Centre for Ethnomusicology. She
has been invited to conduct workshops in India and Overseas. She received the
best paper award from the Music Academy, Chennai for her paper on
Voice-Culture and got another best paper award for her paper on vocal Abuses
from the International Institute for Experimental Research in Voice training
at U.S.A. Her book on Voice-culture has been published by Indian
Musicological Society, Baroda, India. A CD ROM and Video have been published
by Carnatica on Voice training for Carnatic music by Dr.Durga. Dr. Durga also
conducts workshop on Voice culture at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, London, U.K.
Dr.Durga is also a visiting Professor at the S.N.D.T. Women's University,
Mumbai to teach voice-culture, Musicology, Acoustics, World Musics and
research methodology for Post graduate and Research students at their
Department of Musics.
Dr.Durga is an Executive Committee member of the Indian Musicological
Society, Baroda and Guest Editor of the Journal of Indian Musicological
Society, Baroda.
Dr.Durga has been appointed as a member of the International Advisory
Council of the Centre for Intercultural Music Arts, London from 1997.
Dr. Durga was sent to Australia, Srilanka and Scotland by the Indian
Council for Cultural Relations, Government of India.
Dr.Durga received the award for her International achievement in the field
of Musicology from a reputed organisation in India (Chennai) at the
International Women's Year 1997.
Dr. Durga is a member of the Advisory Committee of Music Academy, Chennai.
Dr. Durga was invited to present a paper on "Indian Music after 50
years of India's Independence" at the Commonwealth Heads of the
Governments summit meetings at Edinburgh in October 1997 by the British Forum
For Ethnomusicology, U.K.
Dr. Durga has been invited to present a paper and participate at the
International Conference on Divine Voice organised by the University of
Wales, England in April, 1999 and was highly applauded for her research on
Voice.
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