Vinod Krishnan

Vinod Krishnan is a **Carnatic singer, composer, and music producer** who's become known for blending Indian classical music with contemporary genres in creative and viral-worthy ways. Born in Chennai, he's been performing since age 11 and won the prestigious CCRT (Center for Cultural Research and Training) scholarship for eight consecutive years starting in 1998. His big breakthrough came in 2017 when his Carnatic remix of Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You"—created with Aditya Rao and Mahesh Raghvan—racked up over 6 million YouTube views and put him on the international music radar.

These days, Krishnan is the Creative Director for music at **IndianRaga**, an education startup and video channel founded at MIT that's amassed over 40 million total views for its fusion experiments and mash-ups. Based in the US (currently Minnesota), he's been on a mission to make Indian classical music relevant and cool to younger generations by constantly experimenting with how Carnatic music can intersect with everything from pop to world music. Beyond his viral work, he's released original compositions on commercial labels and continues to mentor other artists while working in UX design, all while proving that traditional music genres can evolve without losing their soul.