Kiranavali was born in a distinguished and eminent family of Carnatic musicians on Jan 2, 1973.
Her grandfather, the late Gottuvadyam Narayana Iyengar was a living legend. Her father, N. Narasimhan, and her illustrious brother, Chitravina N.Ravikiran, are her gurus.
In an atmosphere resounding with the vibrant and melodious notes of music, Kiranavali's musical talents were nurtured by her father. When hardly three years old, she was able to identify more than 200 ragas and the 175 talas, besides answering numerous other technical questions pertaining to Carnatic music. If Indian Express called her "astounding in her precocity (14 June 1975), The Hindu said, "�More fantastic is the manner in which Kiranavali, the three-year old sister of Ravikiran and Shashikiran is able to tell the raga even at the commencement of its outline."
Her concert career began at the age of eleven when she started singing in tandem with her brother, K. N. Shashikiran. Their duets won the hearts of all listeners, knowledgeable and laymen alike. In her quest for excellence, Kiranavali studied advanced vocal music from the late Sangitha Kalanidhi T. Brinda, the highest authority on many a great composer's works. Under her guidance, Kiranavali has matured into a sensitive musician with a very bright future.
In addition to her deep involvement with vocal music, she also plays the Chitravina, true to her family tradition. She has accompanied her brother, Ravikiran, and has also performed solo. Her vocal and Chitravina concerts have been featured all over the country, in many leading organizations, including the Madras Music Academy, Shanmukhananda Fine Arts, Krishna Gana Sabha, Narada Gana Sabha, etc. She is the first artiste to be graded both in Vocal and the Chitravina by All India Radio and Doordarshan, and has been featured in many of their broadcasts.
Kiranavali has won many prizes in various music competitions as also awards for best performances on many occasions. These include the Best Artiste award from the Narada Gana Sabha, Madras (Dec. 1996) and the Best Concert award from the Malleswaram Sangeetha Sabha, Bangalore (Jan. 1998).
Kiranavali was the lead female vocalist in the operatic ballet, Lakshmi Prabhavam, composed by her brother, Chitravina N. Ravikiran, and choreographed by Smt. Rhadha. This was presented to packed audiences and standing ovations in major cities of the USA and Canada, including Chicago, San Francisco, Washington DC, Miami and Toronto, between March and June 1997. She won great acclaim for her wonderful performance in it, not only abroad but also in the Indian premiere in Dec. 1997.
Kiranavali's artistic talents also extend to painting, in which she has won prizes at the international level. Her academic records are no less impressive. She has won several prizes that include school ranks and ranks at the regional and national levels. She holds a degree in commerce, but Carnatic music remains her passion and her chosen career.
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