This multi-faceted Chennai girl has many hidden talents. She is an opera singer, classical music singer, a theatre artist, and above all, a soprano singer. Meet Ria Mukund, a music student as well as a music teacher.
“There are dimensions to the human voice that are largely unexplored; for my singing, I try to reap the maximum benefit from my soprano sessions,” says Ria. Soprano is the highest vocal range in classical singing. Ria also conducts voice workshops or vocal culture classes that help individuals realise the potential of their voices. “People need to know how to use their voice best. Your voice is you, and every voice is different. It also forms a basis of identity for singers,” she informs.
The 27-year old performer is also a theatre artist and has acted with several leading theatre groups in the city. One of her noted plays was when she acted in an English translated Spanish play, Blood Wedding. “I also got an opportunity to sing for some of the plays,” she gushes.
Ria has been training in soprano singing for the past six–seven years. “It enables me to raise my voice to the highest extent, and allows for different range explorations in voice.”
A former student of AR Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory, Ria was also involved in musical theatre, where she handled Indian classical music and light music. “The more you learn music, the more you train your voice in a certain way,” she quips.
Ria has also sung for the centuries-old opera Dido and Aeneas. “I was attracted towards opera since the very beginning. In addition, the pleasing effect produced by harmony is given a lot of prominence in western classical music unlike in India.”
The young singer has also lent her voice for films like Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Kadal as a part of the chorus group. She is currently doing her masters in vocal performance in the US, and wants to continue teaching, performing music, and trying her luck with singing in films.
