Highlights:
- Ten emerging Indian American artists chosen as 2026 Lotus Fellows
- Program strengthens visibility and development in Indian classical performing arts
- Fellows span dance, instrumental music, and interdisciplinary practice
- Yearlong mentorship, workshops, and performance platforms included
- Artists recognized for creative excellence, cultural grounding, and community impact
Arts India US has unveiled the ten emerging artists selected for its 2026 cohort of Lotus Fellows, a national program created to support and elevate the Indian classical performing arts landscape across the US. The year-long initiative provides mentorship, training workshops, and performance opportunities aimed at boosting artists' visibility and professional development.
Announcing the cohort on Instagram, the organization emphasized the outstanding creative promise and commitment displayed by the fellows, praising the ability to connect traditional art forms with contemporary audiences in the US. The selected artists represent a wide spectrum of classical disciplines: Antara Bhattarcharya (sitar), Ariaki Dandawate (Kathak), Harini Nilakantha (Bharatnatyam), Karthik Iyer (Carnatic violin), Karun Salvady (mridangam), Neha Venkatesh (Bharatnatyam), Shalini Basu (Odissi), Shruti De (sarod), Tarika Nath (Kathak), and Vedya Spurthi Konda (Kuchipudi).
Sitarist Antara Bhattacharya was recognized as one of India’s youngest musicians at just two years and seven months old. Now balancing a performing career with her PhD in Ethnomusicology, she continues to blend research, teaching, and artistry.
Kathak artist Ariaki Dandawate, a PhD student in Computational Biology, draws from the rich lineage of her guru, Pandita Archana Joglekar, inheriting techniques from the Banaras, Lucknow, and Jaipur gharanas. Her work is deeply informed by rhythm, storytelling, and scientific inquiry.
Chicago-based Harini Nilakantan began dancing at four and remains driven by questions of connection—across cultures, forms, and internal landscapes. Alongside Bharatanatyam, she trains in hip-hop, waacking, Chicago footwork, and beginner ballet, expanding her artistic vocabulary.
Carnatic violinist Karthik Iyer brings together musical training and scientific curiosity. A physics major, he investigates the mechanics of sound while continuing his classical practice shaped during several formative years in India.
Houston mridangist Karun Salvady, who has performed more than 500 concerts globally, merges performance with scholarship. His research in neuroscience and music cognition, including a Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship, examines the relationship between Indian classical music and the brain.
Bharatanatyam dancer Neha Venkatesh pairs classical rigor with narrative innovation. A YoungArts Award winner, she skillfully blends tradition with modern audience engagement, informed in part by her work in UX design.
Odissi dancer Shalini Basu, a National YoungArts winner, explores themes of identity and the human condition. Her academic path in Dance Anthropology complements her choreographic work, addressing cultural dissonance and representation.
Sarod artist Shruti De, one of the few women practicing the instrument, has built an international career, performing globally and composing across cultures. A OneBeat Fellow, her work bridges physics, music, and cross-cultural collaboration.
Houston Kathak artist Tarika Nath balances performance with teaching as Assistant Director at Shivangini Academy of Arts, developing new works while mentoring young dancers.
Finally, Kuchipudi dancer Vedya Spurthi Konda—a National YoungArts Winner and IBM UX designer—unites tradition and modernity through global performances and human-centered storytelling.
Together, the 2026 Lotus Fellows reflect a dynamic, evolving community committed to sustaining and expanding Indian classical arts across the United States.
