Praised as “one of the most exciting opera composers in the country” (–The Washington Post), composer Kamala Sankaram moves freely between the worlds of contemporary opera, experimental music and sound art. As a biracial Indian-American and trained sitarist, Kamala has drawn on Indian classical music in many of her works, including Thumbprint, A Rose, Monkey and Francine in the City of Tigers, and the Jungle Book. Known for pushing the boundaries of form and style, she has created work for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (as 2023 artist-in-residence), an opera for the trees of Prospect Park (as winner of the 2021 Creative Time Open Call), an augmented reality music walk for Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, a techno-noir featuring live datamining of the audience, and the world’s first virtual reality opera, among other pieces. She has been commissioned by the Glimmerglass Festival (as 2022 artist-in-residence), Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, and the PROTOTYPE Festival, among others. Her operas continue to be performed both nationally and internationally, most recently at Santiago a Mil, Dutch National Opera, and Oper Wuppertal.

Also an accomplished performer, Kamala has been hailed as “an impassioned soprano with blazing high notes” (Wall Street Journal). Notable collaborations include Anthony Braxton’s Theatrical Improvisations, Trillium E, Trillium J, and GTM (Syntax) 2017; Meredith Monk’s Atlas with the LA Philharmonic, and The Wooster Group’s LA DIDONE, among others. Kamala is the leader of Bombay Rickey, an operatic Bollywood surf ensemble whose accolades include two awards for Best Eclectic Album from the Independent Music Awards, the 2018 Mid-Atlantic touring grant, and appearances on WFMU and NPR. Dr. Sankaram holds a PhD from the New School and is currently a member of the composition faculties at the Mannes College of Music and SUNY Purchase. www.kamalasankaram.com