Sateesh Seetharamiah

Sateesh Seetharamiah (aka Mysore Sateesh) is a Carnatic Violinist, cultural institution builder and a technology leader. A disciple of the renowned violinist Vidwan H. K. Narasimhamurthy, Sateesh emerged as one of the most sought-after violinists in Mysuru during the 1980s. From his early years, music has been the central thread of Sateesh’s journey. Even after moving to the United States, Sateesh continued his unwavering commitment to Carnatic music as a music guru and cultural bridge, accompanying several eminent musicians and mentoring students across generations. Over a 17-year stay in the US, he mentored more than a hundred Indian-origin children helping them stay connected to their musical heritage. During his early years in America, he was associated with the prestigious Lincoln Center in New York, where he taught violin and introduced Indian classical music to students in New York public schools. Sateesh has accompanied some of the most respected names in Carnatic music, including Vid Trichur V. Ramachandran, Vid R. A. Ramamani, Bombay Sisters, Vid Nagamani Srinath, Vid A. V. Prakash, Vid Chitraveena Ravikiran, Vid Bellary M. Venkateshachar, Vid T. V. Gopalakrishnan, Vid Abhishek Raghuram, Vid T. K. Govinda Rao, Vid Shankaran Nambudari, Maharajapuram Ramachandran, Vidwan S Shankar and Vidushi Vani Sateesh. He has also collaborated with leading Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Odissi, and Flamenco dancers, including Kamala Lakshman, Vasundara Doreswamy, Swapna Sundari, and Madhavi Mudgal. Beyond performance, Sateesh has played a significant role in shaping musical communities and institutions. As an office bearer of SPICMACAY, he actively contributed to organizing concerts and lecture-demonstrations in Mysuru, nurturing appreciation for Indian classical music among youth. He was also the lead violinist of a unique live orchestra, an extraordinary experiment in 1980's, performing classic Hindi film compositions with over 20 violinists. As a Founder Trustee of the Karnataka Fine Arts Council, Sateesh helped conceptualize and lead landmark initiatives such as Purandara Darshana and Kalavanta, strengthening platforms for classical music performance and scholarship. Together with his wife, acclaimed Carnatic vocalist Vidushi Vani Sateesh, he co-founded the charitable organization Vishesha in 2000 with a vision to nurture and propagate Indian classical music in USA. After returning to India, they expanded this mission through Vishesha Fine Arts, organizing hundreds of concerts and creating opportunities for both established maestros and emerging artists. Through Vishesha Fine Arts, they instituted prestigious annual honors such as the Vishesha Acharya, Vishesha Kala Poshaka and Vishesha Kala Chetana awards, recognizing stalwarts of Carnatic music and the arts. Esteemed recipients include Vid P. S. Narayanaswamy, Vid Bellary M. Venkateshachar, Vid H. K. Narasimhamurthy, Vid T. K. Murthy, Vid T. N. Seshagopalan, Vid N.Ramani, Vid Umayalpuram Sivaraman, among others. Alongside his musical journey, Sateesh is a technology leader, CEO and member of board of EdgeVerve Systems Limited, a subsidiary of Infosys. He is a recognized thought leader in Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies. His views have been published my many notable international journals and media, including Forbes magazine. Sateesh is an engineering graduate of the University of Mysore and holds a master's degree in Biomedical Sciences from NJIT and Rutgers NJ. He is also a graduate of Stanford organizational leadership program and Business Management at Harvard University.