Born in the United States, Kesari Pundarika started playing viola at the age of eight when her family moved to London. Kesari returned to the United States to study Spanish at Tufts University, Massachusetts, during which time she also spent five months in Cordoba, Spain.
Because of her love of languages and literature, Kesari has always been drawn to the scope of the musician to convey a story to their audience, whether by solo, chamber or orchestral performance, and upon achieving her bachelor’s degree in Spanish, Kesari decided to pursue a career in music. She moved to London and studied with Ian Jewel at the Royal College of Music, before completing her MA with Martin Outram at the Royal Academy of Music.
Whilst studying, Kesari played in masterclasses with Helen Callus, Jennifer Stumm, Predrag Katanic, the Emerson String Quartet and the Fine Arts Quartet. Kesari has performed at venues such as Faneuil Hall in Boston and the Royal Festival Hall in London, with conductors such as Vladimir Jurowski and Semyon Bychkov, and at festivals including the British Isles Music Festival and Lake District Summer Music Academy.
As a member of Southbank Sinfonia 2017 Kesari has performed live on BBC Radio 4, in a side by side concert with Academy St Martin in the Fields, with conductors such as Mark Wigglesworth and Edward Gardner and at festivals such as the Anghiari Festival, the London Handel Festival, and the London Jazz Festival. She was also a member of the Britten-Pears Orchestra in 2017 under Marin Alsop.
As a chamber musician, Kesari has recently performed in Guernsey, in a side by side performance with the Allegri Quartet in London, and at the St. Lawrence Jewry Summer Festival as a member of the Bridge Viola Ensemble. In addition to performing, Kesari is committed to teaching and promoting the viola to the younger generation, and recently held a viola day at her former school, giving a series of performances and talks about the instrument.
