Navneeth Sundar (born December 18, 1983) is an Indian composer, music producer, keyboardist, Geoshred artiste, singer, live performer and collaborative musician renowned for blending traditional Carnatic music with modern technology. He has worked with high-profile musicians such as A. R. Rahman, Ilaiyaraaja, Amit Trivedi, Harris Jayaraj, and Yuvan Shankar Raja. Navneeth is active in the Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam cinema industries, with notable film compositions in these languages. Starting as a musical prodigy at the age of eight, he has developed a distinctive approach to classical-fusion music and is recognized for being the first to perform Carnatic music using an iPad, a feat acknowledged by the Limca Book of Records.[1]
Navneeth Sundar's musical talent was evident from a very young age. At three, he began playing TV commercial jingles on toy keyboards. He pursued a degree in Computer Science and Engineering from Sathyabama Institute of Technology, Chennai. Before fully dedicating himself to music, Navneeth worked for 3.5 years at Infosys, a multinational Indian IT company.
File:Navneeth limca2.jpgNavneeth Sundar holding his Limca Book of Records award for the first ever iPad Carnatic concert at Hotel Clarion in Mylapore, Chennai.
Career
Navneeth made history as the first musician to perform a pure Carnatic concert using an iPad. His performance of Desh Thillana on the iPad was shared on social media by A. R. Rahman in 2015[2]. At 20, he was awarded the title of "Sangeetha Bhaskara"[3] at Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai, for his excellence in Classical Carnatic music. He was nominated for the award of "Best upcoming music director (Malayalam)" in Radio Mirchi awards, 2014, for his composition "Kadalil Kanmashipole" from the film Buddy. His "Madhavi (TV series)" serial title song "Kadhaloru Maayama" was rated the second-best television serial title song of all time by Kumudam magazine (as of 2009). Navneeth scored for audio-visual spectacles in iconic government sports events, including the 44th Chess Olympiad in 2022 and Khelo India in 2024. He also scored for an audio-visual epic act for the Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet in 2024. He has also scored jingles and TV promos for various brands such as Parachute, Aircel, BSNL and many others.
Film and Music Contributions
Navneeth began his film composing career in 2012 with "Chandrachooda" from the Malayalam film Karmayogi. He followed this with Buddy in 2013 and made his Telugu debut with Guppedantha Prema in 2016. His Tamil debut came with Pattampoochi in 2022. Navneeth also composed the IIM B Anthem for the Golden Jubilee of IIM Bengaluru and the music for the web series Paani Poori (2023), which was praised for its engaging storyline and well-composed background score that aligns seamlessly with the narrative.
His upcoming projects as composer is "Lucky" produced by Disney hotstar starring G. V. Prakash Kumar.
iPad Kutcheri is a unique musical performance conceptualized and performed by Navneeth Sundar. It features the use of the iPad as a primary musical instrument to perform Carnatic music. Navneeth Sundar utilizes the GeoShred app on the iPad to create traditional Carnatic music sounds, blending modern technology with classical music traditions.[5][6][7]
Madhavi (TV series) (2009) - The title song "Kaadhaloru Maayama" for the Tamil TV series Madhavi aired on Sun TV, gained widespread popularity and helped boost his career.
Navneeth is an endorsee of the iPad app instrument "GeoShred," created by Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater. He shared his GeoShred preset "Navneeth Carnatic," which he used in his popular Swagatham Krishna cover. This preset allows users to experience Carnatic Electronica, blending traditional Carnatic music with modern digital technology. Sundar continues to innovate in the field of music, using apps like GeoShred to reach new audiences.[14]
Navneeth leads his band "Navneeth Sundar Ensemble,"[19] performing his original compositions and rearranged popular songs.
Recognition and Feedback
Navneeth's pioneering work has earned him widespread recognition. He is a TEDx speaker[20] and has delivered talks at prestigious platforms like INK Talks[21][22], sharing his journey and insights on merging technology with traditional music.
Personal Life
Navneeth resides in Chennai, where he continues to influence the music community through his performances, compositions, and educational initiatives.
