Radhika Balakrishnan receives honorary fellowship from RBC, UK

Carnatic vocalist, academic, and educator Radhika Balakrishnan has been awarded an honorary fellowship by the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC), one of the United Kingdom’s most prestigious performing arts institutions.

She is the first Carnatic vocalist to receive an honorary fellowship from the Conservatoire. The award was formally presented at a ceremony held at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, said a press release.

Among previous recipients was the late John Mayer (1930–2004), who served as composer and professor of composition at RBC from 1990 to 2004 and was a pioneer of Indo-jazz fusion and received the award in 1999.

For over more than 15 years, Dr. Balakrishnan has brought traditional Carnatic music, infused with contemporary influences, to audiences across India, the United Kingdom, and internationally, said the release.

As the inaugural ICCR Chair in Indian Studies at Birmingham City University in 2023, Dr. Balakrishnan learned Carnatic music under the tutelage of vocalist and educator Vidushi R.N. Sreelatha of the Rudrapatnam music tradition, according to the press release.