Asha Srinivasan is an Indian-American composer and Assistant Professor of Music (Theory/Composition/Electronic Music) at Lawrence University, Appleton, WI.
I have been involved with music since my early childhood in India. My extended family on both of my parents' sides are musical. My mother Lalitha is currently a professional singer of Indian film songs and sings all over the U.S. When I was in India, at age 6, I started taking vocal lessons in Carnatic music (the classical music of Southern India).
After moving to the U.S., I was introduced to Western classical music through the public school system. In high school, I had the opportunity to take my first Music Theory class. What was supposed to be theoretical part-writing exercises turned into compositional experiments for me and thus sparked my passion for creating music. I am enthralled by the possibilities of integrating aspects of the Carnatic style into the Western music idiom. Thus, I draw from my Western musical training and my Indian heritage to create my compositional language.
In 2006, I was named the winner of the BMI Foundation's first Annual Women's New Music Commission Competition. Other credits include the Flute/Cello Commissioning Circle call for scores, the Walsum competition, the Prix d'Ete competitions, and ASCAPlus Awards. I have had electronic pieces performed at ICMC, June in Buffalo, SEAMUS, Spark, Electroacoustic Juke Joint, Electronic Music Midwest, and The Women in New Music Festival. I have been commissioned by the Flute/Cello Commissioning Circle, Sequoia Chamber Players, clarinetist E. Michael Richards, among others. My original electro-acoustic opera, The Fallen Nutcracker, was premiered by Landless Theatre Company in Washington, D.C for a run of sixteen performances in 2003.
Web: http://www.twocomposers.org/asha/about.html (2011)