Navalkishore Kulkarni is a Bangalore-based Carnatic classical vocalist, composer, lyricist and vocal coach with 15 years of professional singing experience, including over 800 live performances across India and 10+ years of experience in playback singing for films, short films, albums, jingles and independent songs. He is a recipient of a World Record for a landmark Carnatic concert in Mumbai, and has shared the stage with some of India's most celebrated musicians.
A charismatic and engaging performer with a rich teaching background, Navalkishore cultivates curiosity in an open, inclusive learning environment — planning and delivering high-quality music lessons that build his students' skills, confidence and stage presence. He is also a founder of SwaraVibes Academy, an online platform dedicated to making authentic Carnatic music education accessible to students around the world.
MUSICAL TRAINING & LINEAGE
Navalkishore holds a Master's degree in Carnatic music from Jain University, Bangalore. His training includes:
• Initial training in Carnatic vocal music from the age of ten under the late Smt. Shantha Ram Murthy
• Over nine years of advanced training under Vidwan Dr. Suchethan Rangaswamy, a disciple of the legendary Vidwan R.K. Srikantan and Vidwan P. Unni Krishnan
• Padmashree Vidwan Sri R.N. Thyagarajan — Navalkishore is currently his disciple, training in advanced Carnatic vocal music since 2021
• Vidushi Smt. T.S. Rama
• Vidushi Dr. Nagavalli Nagaraj
• Vidushi Dr. Meera Rajaram Pranesh
• Vidushi Smt. Rupa Sridhar
• World Record Holder — Performed a landmark Classical Carnatic concert for Radha Krishna Dance Academy, Mumbai (Nov 2019), recognised by the Asia Book of Records, India Book of Records, Limca Book of Records and Vietnamese Book of Records.
• 800+ Live Concerts — Performed extensively across cities in India, spanning Classical Carnatic, devotional, light music, alternative rock and film music, including a performance alongside the legendary S.P. Balasubramanyam.
• Playback Singing — Over 10 years lending his voice to commercials, jingles, singles, albums, short films and feature films, including projects for renowned composer Sri Hamsalekha.
• Opening Act — Opened concerts for celebrated artists including Mohit Chouhan, Raftaar, Nikhil D'Souza, Javed Ali, Arjun Kanungo and Raghu Dixit.
• Competition Honours — Finalist, Aurora Idol; Semi-Finalist, Sing Dil Se; winner of numerous regional singing competitions.
• Composition — Composed, arranged and released original music for independent and film projects across major streaming platforms.
TEACHING & PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Navalkishore's teaching journey began in 2011 at Keerthana Nrithya Shaale, Bangalore, where he spent five years refining learners' singing skills through practical sessions, working with intonation and vocal styling to bring out each student's desired performance effect. From 2016 to 2017, he served as a Music Lecturer at Alva's College, Moodabidri, teaching music theory, aural skills and practical techniques to help students prepare for their examinations. He went on to teach as a Carnatic Vocal Teacher at Interlude Music Academy, Bangalore, from 2019 to 2022. Today, Navalkishore works independently as a Vocal Coach, training students across Bengaluru, Mumbai and abroad — both online and offline — in Carnatic, devotional, folk, cinema and Western vocal styles.
Navalkishore composes, writes, produces, mixes and masters original music, and performs on guitar alongside vocals. His repertoire spans Carnatic Classical, devotional, folk, fusion, film, alternative rock and pop music, and he sings fluently in Kannada, English, Hindi, Telugu and Tamil. His skill set also extends to harmonising, choir performances, and music production — a versatility that shapes both his own artistry and the multi-genre, multi-lingual teaching approach he brings to SwaraVibes Academy.
