Bio

Pranav Swaroop Bettagere was initiated into formal training in Carnatic music, a South Indian classical form, at a very young age. Practicing the art form for over two decades now, Pranav has performed across India and internationally, in over 13 countries at prominent venues.

Based in Boston, MA, Pranav has been a regular performer across New England and the United States, playing both solo violin concerts as well as accompanying several top Carnatic musicians.  He has accompanied several top Carnatic musicians such as O.S. Arun, Vasudha Ravi, Palghat Ramprasad, Bangalore S Shankar, T.V. Ramprasad, as well as collaborated with other contemporary artists such as the three-time Grammy winner Ricky Kej, American Jazz Pianist Kenny Werner, Raghu Dixit project, Varijashree Venugopal, and others.

As one of the founding members of Project Mishram, a progressive Carnatic fusion act, Pranav has led his band into victory in over 35+ competitions across India, including at the MTV-Colors of Youth- Season 7, winning a brand new Vitara Brezza Car from Maruti Suzuki. Along with his band, Pranav has had the privilege of bringing Carnatic music, for the first time, into global music festivals such as the UK Tech Fest, ArcTangent Festival, and, more recently, North America’s biggest ‘Louder than Life’ festival, playing alongside giants like Slayer, Slipknot, Judas Priest, and others.

Pranav has also given guest presentations and done workshops on ‘Appreciating Indian Classical music’ at Berklee College of Music, Rainforest World Music Festival, Malaysia, and the Embassy of India in Reykjavik, Iceland. Other notable showcases include performances on the BBC Asian Network, Berklee’s International Folk Festival, WBUR Festival, HCL Concerts, Doordarshan, and others.

Earlier this year, Pranav launched a concert series called ‘Sarang – Colors of South Asian Music’ as a way of giving back to the community. Across 25 cities in Massachusetts, from bustling towns to the more remote corners of the state, the series brought together talented artists of South Asian descent from the Greater Boston area to explore and celebrate the diverse musical traditions. By combining live performances with conversations, these free concerts held at public libraries and community centers aimed to inspire and educate, especially among Western audiences less familiar with the region’s history, arts, and culture. Pranav was conferred a special citation by Hon. Maura Healey, the Governor of Massachusetts, on the occasion of the 25th milestone concert in the series and his community organising efforts.

As an active advocate for equitable opportunities and resources for emerging artists of color and arts organizations alike, Pranav currently serves as a Community Advisory Board member for the Boston Cultural Council, where, for the past three years, he has been involved in reviewing grant applications and submitting recommendations to the city. He has also served as a panelist for the Cambridge Arts Council in the past.

Pranav was honored as one of the ten ‘2024-Makers’ by NPR (90.9 WBUR Boston) for his impact on Boston’s creative and cultural landscape. In addition, he has received grants and recognition, such as the Boston Media Arts Empowerment Award from the City of Boston, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, including a special recognition from the Mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu. This year, Pranav was selected by the City of Boston to represent the Indian-American community as part of the ‘Immigrants Lead Boston’ cohort. Through this initiative, Pranav worked towards championing the needs of the community through discussions revolving around civic ownership and building connections with the city administration.