Originally a pre-medical student at Stanford University, Priyanka heeded her grandfather’s last words to her: manifest your unique creative energy; she switched her path to follow her passion, music, without looking back. 

     Priyanka’s original pre-medical path, however, was not completely dissociated from her purpose. She has always been fueled by the desire to heal. With a Doctorate (D.M.A) in Violin Performance from UCLA, and as a blend of cultures, Indian and Western, she defines intercultural harmony, so needed in current times, as the underlying purpose of her musical career and creative practice. She aims to dismantle borders between musical forms and find resonance between peoples. 

     As a Fulbright scholar and international soloist, she is versed in both Western and Indian classical music, and she revels in the opportunities music creates for cross-cultural communion. Through the initiative of the South Asian Symphony Foundation, founded by Ms. Nirupama Rao, (former Indian ambassador to the United States), she travels to India to perform with the South Asian Symphony Orchestra. As soloist with the Symphony, she gave the Indian premiere of the Violin Concerto: Svara Yantra, by critically-acclaimed Indian-American composer, Shirish Korde, collaborations with whom continue today. 

      Her piano duo, Duo Ánima, provides a medium through which her vision of intercultural understanding may blossom. The Duo performs music inspired by musical traditions from around the globe, and her own repertoire spans the globe as well. In recital, she aims to not only perform, but to elaborate on just what makes these musics unique...and alike. Her own compositions seek fluid intersections between Western and Indian classical music.   

      Priyanka’s scholarship pursues the same connections. Through her dissertation, entitled Forging a More Perfect Union: A Journey from Exoticism to Intercultural Synthesis of Indian and Western Art Music through Works for Violin, she explores the practices of musical interculturalism. She has presented her research at numerous forums around the world, including for the Society for Music Theory and the American Musicological Society. 

      Experiencing the life-changing power of music firsthand, she is committed to arts education. She has taught at Stanford University and she volunteers her time assisting youth programs. In association with Musicians for the World, she was named "La Madrina," (Godmother) of Los Violines de San Juan, a non-profit organization providing music-education to slum children in the slums of Lima, Peru. 

     Priyanka has been winner of numerous competitions, including being a finalist at the International Piazzolla Music Competition for the tango. She is indebted to her many wonderful violin mentors, including Scott St. John, Haroutune Bedelian, Movses Pogossian, Ivan Zenaty, and Midori.