Rajna Swaminathan

Rajna Swaminathan is an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Irvine Department of Music, specializing in the Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology (ICIT) PhD program. A mrudangam virtuoso rooted in Karnatik (South Indian classical) music, her work bridges improvisational practices from South Asian and African diasporic traditions with queer theory, Black studies, and creative music.

• PhD in Music from Harvard University’s Creative Practice and Critical Inquiry program
• Founder and leader of the intercultural ensemble RAJAS
• Commissioned by institutions like Chamber Music America, National Sawdust, and the LA Phil

Her research explores intersections of rhythm, embodiment, and ethics, fostering dialogues between scholarship and artistic practice. As a core faculty member in the ICIT program, she advances cross-disciplinary methodologies in composition and improvisation.