I arrived at Ganesh Rajagopalan’s home expecting an interview about his musical journey. He greeted me warmly, and what followed was a conversation that flowed with ease — from music and family to his lifelong relationship with the violin. Over the next hour, seated in his living room, it became clear that for Rajagopalan, the violin is not simply an instrument he plays. It is a part of him — an inseparable companion.
On September 25, 2026, Rajagopalan will perform with pianist Marina Albero in a concert titled Maya – Seven Reflections of Life, presented by Town Hall Seattle and SAMA: Music + Art. The performance kicks off Town Hall’s 2026–2027 season of Global Rhythms. More information and tickets here.
Rajagopalan’s relationship with the violin began even before he was born. “The violin chose me rather than me choosing the violin. My dad used to tell me that when my mother was pregnant, he would come and play in front of her so that I could [absorb] some music”. His mother used to say he was uncontrollable because he kicked her so much that eventually she asked his father to stop playing. “I think it was from that point in time that music came into my life. My dad says I must have started at age three, so I started really early. My Appa, Shri T.S. Rajagopalan, taught me, and that’s how it happened.” He gave his first public performance at the age of seven in 1972 in New Delhi as part of the Asia 72 celebrations.
Rajagopalan comes from a rich tradition of Carnatic music of Southern India with a history that goes back centuries. That is his foundation, his training, and his lineage. Although he comes from this rigorous system, he believes a musician must constantly evolve to preserve the tradition. “Tradition is not constant,” Rajagopalan said. “It’s evolving all the time. Change will happen only when the music changes. Preservation is possible only when there is creation. If you [must] preserve something, then you’ll have to keep on updating the preservation; otherwise, it will become a museum piece.” His collaboration with other musicians embodies that principle. His musical journey began as a duo playing with his brother, Kumaresh Rajagopalan, a celebrated partnership that began when they were children and has lasted decades. Though they charted separate paths, they continue to perform together, most recently on a tour of the US in April 2026. Their relationship goes beyond music. “We are bonded as brothers” Rajagopalan said with fondness and deep affection. “That connection is always more than the music.” This is an important distinction. For him, collaboration is not just about the music. It is about the people you choose to collaborate with.
Rajagopalan has collaborated with musicians including French guitarist Nadaka, with whom he recorded three albums, Tamil film music director Ilayaraja, Grammy winner A. R. Rahman, and the fusion band Shakti, among others. This spirit of collaboration is at the core of his upcoming concert in Seattle in September 2026: Global Rhythms – Maya – Seven Reflections of Life, with pianist Marina Albero.
His collaboration with Albero began during COVID when he reached out to his friend, Anil Prasad, to ask if he knew a pianist he could work with. Among the pieces he sent Albero was his composition initially titled Prayer for Rain. “I had started a composition in Raga Varuna Priya as a prayer for rain when I was in Chennai. But when I came to Seattle, I thought I should not say [that] prayer because I get a lot of rain, which I love,” he laughs. “I renamed it Rain, Rain in Seattle. I gave Marina this track, and she sent me something amazingly beautiful, and that’s how it all happened. Marina is a very intense and beautiful player, a very emotional performer. She can feel the music, and when she plays, you know you are in for a treat.”
For Rajagopalan, it doesn’t matter whether you’re from a Carnatic or Western tradition; the foundation of musical training is what matters. Their musical languages are distinctly different. Rajagopalan’s is Carnatic music; Albero draws from jazz, flamenco, Cuban music, and other traditions. He firmly believes that collaboration works “not just because of the musicality; it is also the personality. You are collaborating with a person, and that is more important.” He emphasizes that the energy and synergy must match. The value Rajagopalan places on people and relationships extends beyond the stage. He is thoughtful in acknowledging those who supported him since he moved to Seattle. “Darek and Jon have been especially wonderful supporters of me and my music. Their encouragement, friendship, and belief in what I do have meant a great deal to me.”
We talked about his upcoming concert, Maya – Seven Reflections of Life. Maya means transience. In music, it is an ephemeral experience that exists fully in the present, disappears almost immediately, and yet leaves something behind. Maya unfolds over seven ideas and emotions, including nature, perception, movement, love, breath, joy, and color. Rajagopalan elaborates that it is “the world we experience, perceive, and believe to be real — and how music allows us to reflect on those fleeting yet deeply meaningful moments of life.”
He speaks at length about the love-themed piece, Rama Sethu, inspired by the bridge Rama built to bring Sita back from Lanka. At its heart is Nagumōmu, composed by 18th-century saint-composer Thyagaraja Swami, serving as a spiritual bridge connecting Rama and the composer. Rajagopalan elucidates the nuance of this framework, where love transcends boundaries, to become a bridge between past and present, composition and composer, and ultimately, musician and audience.
It is always the audience, the reaction, and appreciation after the concert that remain. Rajagopalan has performed on some of the world’s biggest stages and has many accolades, including a Grammy with Shakti — the first Indian violinist to receive it. Setting that aside, his answer to why he picks up the violin every day is simple yet profound: you have to love the instrument, love what you are doing. He said with candor, “When your calendar is empty, that’s where you tell yourself that this is something that you have to do, that you are born to do, which gives you real joy. That kind of motivation is what makes me go back to the violin again and again because that love for the instrument is beyond words.”
Rajagopalan never takes his creative gifts for granted. He considers his ability to compose a blessing, one for which he remains grateful, because not everybody can do it. With over five decades of performing music and a remarkable body of work behind him, he is an artist who is always thinking ahead. His latest venture is Ragapravaham — music in which the Raga (melody) and Tala (rhythm) take precedence over lyrics. He is disrupting the predominance of lyrics in Carnatic music (where compositions are deeply intertwined with poetry and devotion) and how it is increasingly being experienced.
He believes “lyrics are like speed breakers because they become more important than the music. One can create compositions without lyrics that are still viable and valuable and stand for themselves.” He asks why instrumentalists should work within the “limitations of the voice [that] seep into the instrument?” It is a provocative question and one that expresses Ganesh Rajagopalan’s philosophy: that music must constantly evolve. Evolution does not mean a rupture from tradition; it demonstrates how tradition stays alive through innovation and how he preserves his link to the cultural heritage that has molded him.
‘Global Rhythms: Ganesh Rajagopalan with Marina Albero – Maya – Seven Reflections of Life’ is presented by Town Hall Seattle and SAMA: Music + Art. Friday, September 25, 2026, at 7:30 PM PDT, The Great Hall (Livestream available). More information and tickets here.
