Dr. Subhadra Desai is a classical vocalist of Hindustani genre whose performances have drawn attention for their contemplative character. As a researcher and academic she has worked on the oral traditions of Samavedic chanting and taught Sanskrit at Delhi University. She is an empanelled artist with Indian Council for Cultural Relations, and is an accredited A grade artist at All India Radio.

Dr. Desai has composed music for ancient Sanskrit and Pali texts in classical Ragas, and presented them as theme-based recitals. In addition to her performance engagements, she presents lecture-demonstrations and workshops on Indian Music at various Academic and Cultural Institutions, namely Centre for Cultural Resources & Training (CCRT), India Habitat Centre as part of Master Class, India International Centre and others.

Dr. Desai is a keen researcher of Indian Culture and has a Doctoral degree in Sanskrit from University of Delhi. Her academic works include two published books:

1. Music in Valmiki’s Ramayana: (pub. Shubhi Publications, 2008) has received wide recognition across the globe. It is housed in several important libraries including the Loeb Library at Harvard University.

2. Indian Women Seers and their Songs: The Unfettered Note was jointly published by Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts and Aryan Publications, 2017.

Dr. Desai has investigated Samavedic traditions of Vedic chanting, the outcome of which is published as part of her research with IGNCA.bio about each executive that includes what they do, how long they’ve been at it, and what got them to where they are.