Mid Term Report 2025

Dear Donors and Connoisseurs,

It is with great pleasure that I present the mid-year report for 2025, highlighting the vibrant activities and accomplishments of BSS.

Events

We began the year in January with a highly successful Dasa Sahitya Dîna, which served as an excellent kickoff to our programming. The event was exceptionally well-attended, featuring captivating performances including a dance recital by Anupama Mangalvedhe and a vocal concert by the talented duo Lalitha and Pramithi Varadarajan. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Ramaswamy family for generously hosting the artists, and we acknowledge the crucial role of our donors in making this event possible.

Our programming continued with an Abhang concert in March by Smt. Uma Kumar, a respected member of the Montreal community. This concert, held in collaboration with the Hindu Mandir, provided a unique offering within our program repertoire and was met with great enthusiasm.

In April, we were privileged to host the Nagai double-double violin and mridangam concert. This event was an exceptional demonstration of musical mastery, featuring the renowned Nagai Sir in full command of his instrument, accompanied by the outstanding musicians Sankarnarayanan, Vijay Ganesh, and Badrinarayanan. This concert revisited a format we successfully presented 10 years ago. We are grateful to the Shyamprasad family for their hospitality in hosting the artists.

The following day, BSS initiated a novel interactive instrument workshop, showcasing a variety of South Asian instruments. This workshop featured expert instructors from across the region, demonstrating instruments such as the Veena, violin, tambura, mridangam, ghatam, kanjira, tabla, and flute. The primary aim of this workshop was to inspire the audience to engage with and learn these instruments. We believe this event was a pioneering effort, and the overwhelmingly positive feedback encourages us to plan similar events in the future.

May saw an immersive vocal concert by Ramakrishna Murthy, providing an auditory feast for our attendees. This concert, reminiscent of a highly regarded performance from 10 years prior, showcased Murthy, Kamal, and Sairam, who navigated this inter-art concert with remarkable ease and skill. The three-hour performance seemed to pass by effortlessly. We express our sincere gratitude to the Gowrishanker family for hosting the artists.

Thyagaraja Day commenced promptly at 9 AM, featuring a large ensemble of singers, violinists, and percussionists presenting the Pancharatnam, a tribute to the genius composer Thyagaraja. The day continued with individual and group renditions and was well-received by the audience. Furthermore, we were delighted to present a special concert featuring young artists Sameth, Navaneeth, and Thuvaragan. These talented students from schools and colleges demonstrated their artistic prowess, performing with evident joy and skill. Our appreciation goes to Rekha for hosting the artists.

Upcoming Events:

• Youth encouragement program on August 17th.
• A light classical entertainment program on August 23rd.

Finances

Donations for the first half of 2025 are currently below last year’s levels, presenting some financial challenges. Therefore, we will manage our budget with careful fiscal prudence for the remainder of the year and develop a sound financial plan for 2026. We greatly appreciate the sustained generosity of our donors, which is vital to BSS’s financial stability and our ability to continue offering high-quality programs.

Operations

Effective fundraising efforts at the beginning of the year are essential to ensure a stable cash flow. The board recognizes some operational challenges and is committed to working with teachers and donors to enhance future operations. Planning major concerts requires significant lead time, often up to one year, allowing us to secure high-caliber artists. Consistent donations, particularly early in the year, are crucial for the smooth functioning of the organization.

Good timekeeping is a matter of respectfulness to everybody. Your cooperation in timely start and end in all events so far is much appreciated. 

BSS is actively seeking new members to join the board and contribute to the organization’s strategic direction. Board membership involves a deeper commitment than general volunteering. If you are interested, we encourage you to discuss the role with current directors and consider nominating yourself when the opportunity arises. We also invite you to review the organization’s constitution on our website.

This year, BSS has established a bylaws sub-committee to review and update our organizational bylaws. This initiative involves significant time and effort from several board members and donors. The revised document will be presented for approval at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). We appreciate your attention to this matter and request your cooperation in due course. Please look out for further details.

Feedback

We highly value donor feedback and welcome your input at bssmontreal.org@gmail.com. Please share your thoughts on program offerings, scheduling, refreshments, and any other ideas you may have. We carefully consider all suggestions with a focus on ensuring financial sustainability.

Closing Remarks

I am immensely proud of my fellow board members, whose tireless and selfless efforts have been instrumental to our success this year. The blend of youth and experience, the complementary skill sets, and the collective dedication to every event exemplify exceptional teamwork, from planning to execution. I am confident that this level of commitment will continue for years to come.

Finally, nothing we accomplish would be possible without the invaluable contributions of our numerous volunteers, who generously dedicate their time and effort to hospitality, refreshments, catering, spending time with visiting artists and overall event management. Your support is truly appreciated!

I leave you with Bhakti Geetha Sourabha, a splendid set of compositions of our long time member Shri Bellur Krishnamurthy to enjoy!

https://youtu.be/nT__0CEAedY?si=mtu-T89TUuJSC_m4

On behalf of the BSS board,

Mukund Rajamony

President

May 24th, 2025