A Bangalore-based Carnatic classical vocalist has been appointed a visiting professor for the Chair of Indian Music at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
Radhika Balakrishnan will be in the role for one semester and she is scheduled to participate in a public seminar on the Nadaswaram - a wind instrument popular in south India - at the conservatoire on March 21.
The Chair of Indian Music has been set up by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) at Birmingham City University/Royal Birmingham Conservatoire to promote cultural exchanges.
Radhika who graduated from the University of Mysore in south India in 2007, has been performing since 2006.
She is also an associate professor and content creator in the Carnatic vocal department at Shankar Mahadevan Academy.
In a statement reported by the Times of India, Radhika thanked the ICCR for choosing her to “introduce Indian classical music and culture on such a prestigious global platform”.
The vocalist hoped to help future western musicians build “a deeper appreciation” for India’s classical music tradition.
Bangalore vocalist Radhika Balakrishnan appointed to Birmingham chair
She will be a visiting professor for the Chair of Indian Music at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for one semester
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)