Vocalist Roopa Mahadevan through her crossover project Roopa in Flux leans into the rich tradition of Carnatic (South Indian classical) music to share her authentic and versatile voice, creating new melodic worlds that oscillate between the sublime and the absurd. Collaborating and improvising with virtuosic musicians in jazz, R&B/Soul and free improv, Roopa and her co-artists flux with joy, sincerity, sometimes humor, and always an intense desire to create community through the familiar, the new, and the radically original. Guests include Guy Mintus, Devon Gates, Joshuah Campbell, Michael Wingate, Rohan Krishnamurthy, and Sean Harkness.

Roopa is a leading second-generation Indian classical and crossover vocalist in the American diaspora, known for her powerful, emotive voice, versatility, and collaborative spirit. She leads the crossover ensemble Roopa in Flux, where she works with musicians in jazz, soul, and R&B, directs the innovative choir Navatman Music Collective, and sings for leading Bharathanatyam & modern dancers. Roopa also brings a critical commentary, humor, and authenticity to her work, often invoking her talents in dance and theater. Roopa trained in Carnatic music under Asha Ramesh and further under Suguna Varadachari through the Fulbright scholarship. Roopa has performed in diverse venues such as Chennai's Music Academy during the December festival, Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana, which awarded her the title Kala Ratna, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, MET Museum, Chicago Cultural Center, and Hollywood Bowl, among others. She is a soloist on several albums, including Christopher Tin’s Grammy Award-winning Calling All Dawns, and has been chosen for residencies at the Banff Center for Arts and Creativity, Hedgebrook, Mass MOCA, and Joe's Pub (Working Group, currently). She recently received the prestigious Creative Work Fund grant to create original Carnatic compositions that reflect South Asian diasporic life. In a previous avatar, Roopa worked in public health policy, following degrees from Stanford University.

Presented in partnership with YoungArts.