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Tutor's Bio
Rajandra Vadivale
Music Director & Resident Conductor
Rajandra Vadivale was appointed Music Director of the NUS Indian Instrumental Ensemble (IIE) in 2004.
Rajandra ventured into the Indian classical music arena as a saxophone and clarinet enthusiast. He mastered the basics of both these instruments under Nadaswara Vidwan and M Muruthaiya when he was 15. He made the momentous switch to the flute two years later, encouraged by his late uncle and mentor, renowned Mridangist, V Ramachandran. During the initial stage, he combined training with performances, and participated in most local cultural festivals.
In 1977, Rajandra was engaged as flautist with the well reputed, RamaKrishna Sangeetha Sabha Orchestra (RSSO). In 1982, the RSSO sponsored him to train under the world-renowned flautist, Dr N Ramani. This rare opportunity of a lifetime involved an intense, grueling one-year stint in India. He was enriched by the experience which widened his repertoire and further enhanced his performing style.
Since his stints in India, Rajandra has proven his versatility as an accompanist and as a soloist. He accompanied the dance troupe 'Apsaras' at the Melbourne Music Festival in 1983. He was invited by the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board to perform in Seoul and Vancouver in 1988.
Not content to rest on his laurels, he helped set up the former Peoples' Association Indian Orchestra (currently known as the Singapore Indian Orchestra and Choir or SIOC) in 1985. As pioneer member and leader, his aim was to nurture this group of enthusiast amateurs to a status of international repute. Rajandra is proud that the SIOC is recognized as the 'Indian Orchestra of Singapore'. As their leader, he has seen them through their maiden performance 'Aradhana' in 1988, to performances at most national music festivals such as the 1989 Festival of Music, the 1989 Festival of Dance and the 1990 Festival of Arts. Some of the performances provided him the platform to work alongside reputable Indian musicians and composers such as TV Gopala Krishnan, Drs L Subramaniam, L Vaidyanathan and MS Viswanathan and many others.
Together with the SIOC, the first overseas stint was undertaken in 1991 at the Rajiv Ghandi's Memorial National Festival held in Chennai. Following that were performances in Tokyo and Fuji in 1996, Osaka in 1997, Sweden and Denmark in 1997, Malaysia in 2000 and Hong Kong in 2004.
Rajandra was appointed the Assistant Conductor of SIOC in 1993. His debut as conductor drew much praise in 1995 at 'Ghana Varshini'. The item he conducted entitled 'Reflections' was specially written for the SIOC by maestro, Dr L Subramaniam.
Besides being a flautist cum conductor, Rajandra also holds a diploma in sound engineering. With his technical expertise in the sound system, Rajandra has been frequently consulted by music organisations to handle complicated musical presentations. His outstanding contributions within the Indian classical arena was recognized when he was nominated for the 1997 Singapore Youth Award; a special recognition by the National Youth Council. He was the recipient of the PA's Artistic Talent in 1997 - a commendation for his outstanding performance within the Peoples' Association Cultural Troupe.
Even with all his success, Rajandra remains committed to the same goals: to enrich Indian culture by encouraging young musicians to enter this traditional terrain, nurturing them and instilling in them a passion towards music. He continues to encourage fusion of ethnic music, a project he proudly pioneered with the SIOC.
