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First performance

Nithyasree's first public Carnatic performance was at the age of 14  The 1 hour concert, which was scheduled between 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm, was held for the Youth Association For Classical Music on 10 August 1987. Prominent Carnatic musicians that were present at the concert, included D. K. Pattammal, D. K. Jayaraman, as well as the chief guest at that concert, K. V. Narayanaswamy.
 

Thematic presentations

She has given numerous concerts consisting of only patriotic songs to commemorate the 50th year of Indian Independence, a few with D. K. Pattammal before her grandmother stopped performing in public.
 

D. K. Jayaraman and D. K. Pattammal were known for singing and popularising the compositions of Papanasam Sivan, having learnt them directly from the composer himself. Nithyasree has continued this tradition. She has also given a lecture demonstration in Coimbatore for Manoranjitham on "Papanasam Sivan - A Legend", and made two special thematic albums that solely contained his compositions.
 

Like D. K. Pattammal, Nithyasree presented a concert consisting solely of compositions set to raga Bhairavi. Nithyasree's concert was presented in 1994 over a duration of 3 hours, and consisted of 17 compositions in total.  Similarly, in 1999, her album "BHAIRAVI" was released by Charsur Digital Workstation which solely consisted of a Ragam Tanam Pallavi in ragas containing the name "Bhairavi".
 

Like D. K. Pattammal, Nithyasree has also popularised compositions of Gopalakrishna Bharathi. She presented a paper on the Life and Contribution of Gopalakrishna Bharathi for the Music Department of PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore. Her three thematic albums that solely consisted of his compositions have been very popular, both online and offline.

Nithyasree Mahadevan has more than 750 albums to her credit on various themes and titles which are very popular among rasikas.
 

Touring

Nithyasree Mahadevan has performed in all major sabhas all over India and has presented her concerts in the United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia,United Arab Emirates, Germany, France, Singapore, Malaysia, Switzerland, Belgium, New Zealand, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, and various other destinations throughout the world.
 

Playback singing

Nithyasree Mahadevan's introduction to Tamil playback singing came when A.R. Rahman called her to Panchathan Recording Inn, in Chennai, for a voice test sometime in the 1990s. The output from her visit was used for the song "Kannodu Kanbadellam" in the movie Jeans starring Aishwarya Rai and Prashanth. This became particularly popular which resulted in many songs in the same combination like "Minsara Kanna" from Padayappa, "Sowkiyama Kannae" from Sangamam, and "Manmatha Maasam" from Parthale Paravasam.

Some of her other songs include "Kumbakonam Sandhayile" from New, "Oru Nadhi Oru Pournami" from Samurai, "Kana Kaangiren" from Ananda Thandavam as well as "Thaai Thindra Mannae" from the film Aayirathil Oruvan.
 

Television works

Nithyasree has appeared as a judge in several episodes of Vijay TV's musical reality-talent shows Airtel Super Singer and Airtel Super Singer Junior, seasons 2 onwards. She has also appeared as a judge on the pilot episode of Vijay TV's musical reality-talent show, Super Singer Celebrity Season,  and as a guest judge on Jaya TV's Ragamalika, another music reality-talent show.
 

Nithyasree is currently a permanent judge in season 3 of Raj TV's Carnatic music reality-talent show, Tanishq Swarna Sangeetham. She previously appeared as a guest judge at various levels in earlier seasons of the show.