​
In a domain often characterized as elitist, esoteric, and not easily accessible to the masses, this brilliant sister duo of Ranjani and Gayatri has found a way over the years to satisfy and stimulate the cognoscenti and at the same time delight and thrill the lay audience. To achieve the magnetic status of a rock star and be viable as serious and profound practitioners of the art form is not easy in the field of Carnatic music; but these sisters have done just that with great distinction and felicity.
​
Ranjani and Gayatri are world renowned versatile musicians whose thirty years of professional accomplishments include studio recordings, television, radio, concerts, festivals and lecture demonstrations. They have performed as soloists, violin duos, accompanists, vocal duos, composers, educators and ambassadors of Indian Classical Music. As top class Indian classical musicians, Ranjani and Gayatri are conservators of their genre's unique beauty and preserve ancient tradition as they continue to innovate within it.
​
​
Perfection of sruti (pitching), powerful voice control, rich imagination and impeccable aesthetics which reflect the timeless values of classicism - these are some of the qualities that describe the music of Ranjani and Gayatri. Above all this, it is the sisters' capacity to deeply experience and enjoy what they sing, that takes their music to a different plane. Their two voices blend and contrast to strike a fine balance between vibrancy and contemplation, intellect and emotion, tradition and innovation. Their concerts, which draw full houses across the globe, resound with energy, freshness and emotional fervor. Ranjani and Gayatri are also accomplished violinists. They started their musical journey as violinists even before they reached their teens, and made a name for themselves as one of the leading violinists of their generation, performing in leading sabhas (organizations presenting concerts) all over the country and abroad. Besides playing the violin duet, they have also performed along with musical legends including Padma Vibhushan D.K.Pattammal and Padma Vibhushan M Balamurali Krishna.​
​
Ranjani and Gayatri owe their rich musical heritage to their Gurus, Sri T.S. Krishnaswami who taught them violin and Sri P.S.Narayanaswamy, who guides them now. They had their initial vocal training from their mother Smt Meenakshi Balasubramanian and their father Balasubramanian played a pivotal role in shaping their musical values.
Ranjani and Gayatri, through their concerts all over India and in major international festivals, have rejuvenated the interest in classical music worldwide. They have performed in prestigious venues/ festivals including Kennedy Centre in Washington DC, Bengal Music Festival in Dhaka, Southbank Centre in London, Ravenna Festival at Teatro Communale Alighieri in Italy, Cross Culture festival in Poland and Esplanade Theatre in Singapore to name a few. Through the idiom of Carnatic music, their songs in Indian languages including Sanskrit, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati bring out the many flavours and rich cultural and linguistic heritage of India. Their concerts take the listener into a world of color, beauty and transcendental bliss. Their music leaves a powerful impact on music aficionados and fans, inspiring many musicians to follow their style. They also devote much of their time to teach and mentor students who can carry on the glorious legacy of Indian classical music and many of these are also concert performers themselves.
· Even as toddlers, showed an uncanny capacity to grasp the subtle nuances of Carnatic music - Gayatri could identify over a hundred ragas when she was barely two and a half and Ranjani could delineate complex rhythm patterns at age five.
· Gave their debut performance at the prestigious Indian Music Group, Mumbai at the age of 13 and 10 respectively.
· Shifted from Mumbai to Chennai, the Mecca of Carnatic music in the year 1993 and started presenting vocal concerts since 1997.
· Their concerts at prestigious music centers including the Music Academy, Chennai, Narada Gana Sabha, Shanmukhananda Sabha, Delhi have won them several awards.
-
Indira Sivasailam Endowment Medal of Excellence for 2016.
-
Lifetime Achievement Award from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
-
Title of "Vani Kala Sudhakara" from Sri Tyaga Brahma Gana Sabha in 2015.
-
Title of "Sangeetha Kala Siromani" from Chennai Cultural Academy in 2015.
-
Sanskriti Award from Sanskriti Pratishtan, New Delhi in 2008
-
"Isai Peroli" from the Kartik Fine Arts Chennai in 2005
-
National Eminence Award from Shanmukhananda Fine Arts, Mumbai in 2004
-
The Kalki Krishnamurthy Memorial Award in 2004.
-
Title of "Isai Jyothi" and the DK Pattammal Award from Aanmajothi, the cultural wing of Saraswati Vidyalaya
-
"Sangeeta Vedantha Dhureena" from Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandira Bengaluru in 2018
-
"Nada Kalanidhi" from Shanmukhananda Sangeeta Sabha, Delhi in 2019.