1 day Ago By Vadrevu Srinivas
The renowned flute artiste Kunchangi Chandra Rao, popularly known as Chandu, has been nominated as a member of the Board of Studies in Theatre Arts (PG) at Andhra University, Visakhapatnam. He will serve in this position for three years. Chandu is one of the 18 members of the committee, which includes two special invitees.
An expert in flute, mouth-organ, guitar, keyboard, jal tarangini (a type of melodic percussion instrument), harmonium, pads, and vocals, Chandu has performed on various stages in Bahrain, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Tehran, the US, and other countries, as well as in major cities across India. He has performed alongside popular cine singers, including the late S.P.
Bala Subrahmanyam, Jesudas, Udit Narayan, Pankaj Das, Gulam Ali, and Rakesh Chaurasia, son of Hari Prasad Chaurasia. In 2006, he won the Nandi Award for his music performance in the play Moodo Purshordham, and in 2015. Chandu has also assisted various musical organisers with his flute and music expertise for private albums.
He expressed his gratitude to the Andhra University vice chancellor G. Sashi Bhushan Rao, the principal of the College of Arts and Commerce A. Narasimha Rao, and others for appointing him to the Board of Studies.
Chandu mentioned that he had performed on many stages and trained numerous students to become musicians and experts in different musical instruments. He also shared that the late Mangalampalli Bala Muralikrishna had praised his performances on several occasions and presented him with his biography. Furthermore, he recalled that the late Dantu Surya Rao, organiser of the Young Men’s Happy Club, had once described him as “not an individual, but a force of music,” a compliment that greatly boosted his career.
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