MOHAN NADKARNI FOUNDATION
The Mohan Nadkarni Foundation is a Registered New Zealand Charity (CC 54253) dedicated to the education and propagation of traditional music and performing arts and finding platforms for young, upcoming performers to display their talent.
Every year, the Foundation hosts inspirational performers of world repute here in New Zealand to both perform and hold workshops for students and teachers of various performing arts.
In the past, the Foundation has worked with institutions like the University of Auckland School of Music and several other private schools and teachers to host the workshops, which are always free of cost for students and teachers.
The main performance, however, is a separate event and is ticketed, mainly to meet expenses of the event itself and to raise funds for the Foundation’s other educational and talent promotion activities.
The Foundation periodically hosts theme-based musical education sessions with recognised and practising music teacher from Auckland. The sessions include actual teaching as well as aesthetic appreciation.
The trust has access to considerable recorded and published content, including educational content, much of it produced non-commercially by teachers over several decades. This is from the private collection of musicologist, author and music critic Mohan Nadkarni, in whose name the Foundation has been formed.
The entire collection of more than 4000 articles, hundreds of books and thousands of hours of rare recordings and lecture-demonstrations is being maintained by the Foundation and is accessible to anyone who is interested free of cost. A web resource comprising all this material is being put together progressively (www.mohannadkarni.org).
ACTIVITIES
A wordless, musical involving 35 performing artistes comprising singers, actors, dancers, musicians and other performing artistes was hosted in Auckland in March 2018. Several of the young artistes performed on stage for the first time.
MNF invited one of India’s leading classical vocal artistes, Ashwini Bhide Deshpande to perform and conduct music workshops in Auckland in 2017. The workshops saw enthusiastic participation from Auckland-based teachers and their students. Ashwini’s concerts were greatly appreciated by New Zealand audiences.
MNF worked with the University of Auckland School of Music in to feature some students at the Jazz-fusion ‘Mumbai Unplugged’ concert at the Dorothy Winstone Centre on August 20, 2016. MNF plans to continue to work on projects in the future involving co-facilitation of teachers from India and Auckland based teachers.
THE BOARD MEMBERS
Late Suniti Mohan Nadkarni - Founding Chairperson
Mrs Nadkarni had been the custodian of all of Late Mohan Nadkarni’s published and musical assets and has assisted him in his 50-year writing career, typing and preparing all manuscripts of his writings. She had a deep knowledge of music and performing art and shared her late husband’s passion for encouraging performing arts among young people. She passed away on November 13, 2019 at the age of 92.
Dr Vasu Hatangdi - Vice Chairman
Dr Hatangadi has lived in New Zealand for more than 50 years and is a retired medical practitioner. He is a respected member of the New Zealand Indian community and a keen patron of the performing arts and has been instrumental in organising concerts and cultural soirees in New Zealand for several years alongside his medical practice.
Dev Nadkarni - Secretary
Mr Nadkarni is a writer and communications professional. He has a keen interest in promoting classical and traditional performing arts and young, talented artistes in New Zealand. He works with institutions, teachers, organisations and donors toward achieving the Foundation’s goal of providing platforms for youngsters to display their talent and promoting traditional performing arts.
Arun Rao - Trustee
Mr Rao is an engineer by qualification and a retired senior manager who has worked in several countries. Keenly interested in the traditional performing arts, he is passionate about encouraging their propagation through providing opportunities for young talented people to showcase their talent to a wider audience.
Harish Srinivasan - Trustee
Harish Srinivasan is a Director and CEO of a group of companies around the Pacific region. He is a Chartered Accountant and a keen lover of Indian classical performing arts. He has been associated with the Auckland Carnatic Music Society in several roles for more than a decade. Harish was inducted into the MNF Board in February 2020
Veena Nadkarni - Trustee
Mrs Nadkarni is a professional librarian and has helped classify and catalogue much of the Late Mohan Nadkarni’s musical writings, a vast collection of photographs, books, vinyl and other records and cassettes. She assists the Foundation’s promotional efforts as well as coordinates logistics around events along with volunteers.
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