From an early age, Rishika Kurma has cultivated a deep passion for music, beginning vocal training at just six years old in Indian Carnatic music before transitioning to professional Western popular voice training at age ten. Blending technical versatility with expressive performance, she has earned recognition across regional, national, and international stages, including Runner-Up placements at Julia’s Joy and the STAR Vocal Competition, and a first-place finish in the Greater Philadelphia NATS Commercial Music category. Nationally, she was named a semifinalist in the NATS National Student Auditions in Commercial Music, and internationally, she has placed in the top three of the American Protégé “We Sing Pop!” Competition for three consecutive years, earning invitations to perform at the winners’ recital at Carnegie Hall. Beyond competitions, Rishika shares her artistry with a growing audience of 700+ followers across social media, where she posts both covers and original work. Her musical impact extends globally as well, having been selected from a highly competitive pool of student musicians to tour and perform across eight European cities as part of the American Music Abroad program. Committed to using music as a force for good, she is also the co-founder of Rhythm & Remedy, a nonprofit initiative dedicated to bringing music to underserved communities—raising over $10,000 in instruments and organizing performances and workshops at local care facilities to promote music therapy and its healing power.
Watch Rishika Kurma sing Halo by Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter for the 2026 Spring Music Competition as part of the Charleston International Music Competition.