KALASHREE MUSIC FOUNDATION

is a music school cum charitable foundation formed by Indian Classical Violin Virtuoso Maestro Kala Ramnath, who deeply believes in the power of music in making this world a better place to live. As the founder of Kalashree, she is pivotal in its creation and vision. Kalaji was greatly inspired by how classical music was used in Hungary and even Venezuela where the program El Sistema's mission was not to create professional musicians, but to promote the collective practice of music  in order to help children and young people in achieving their full potential and acquiring values that favor their growth. So in 2012 Kala ji requested her friend Sayan Mukerji who himself is a musician apart from having a great corporate career to join her as he too shared her vision in her endeavor to start a non profit to help underprivileged children through music.  Thus Kalashree in India was born.

In the same year Kala ji started Kalashree in the US too. Kala ji had been combining her love for music with her compassion for children by teaching music to young students from 2006 in the US, thus allowing her to impart her unique style to future generations. One such student who was learning from her was a 6 year old boy, Harindra Rathi.  Kalaji witnessed the talented, energetic, and curious young boy change by the diagnosis of leukemia. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his ailment, but not without impacting the lives of many around him including that of his Guru Kala Ramnath. She was touched by the lives of children undergoing long term treatments. He enabled her to discover, first hand, the inner strength her music provided to children. There was an undeniable potential for music to help more kids in similar circumstances. She asked Annada Rathi (Harindra’s mom) to be a part of this journey and there was no way Annada could refuse. Thus, Kalashree in the United States was born.