After graduating from Big Spring High School, he attended Duke University, where he earned degrees in music and biology.

Upon completion of his master's degree from Texas Tech University, he was awarded a Fulbright Program grant to study conducting with John Nelson in Paris.

He has studied with many prominent conductors including Leonard Slatkin, Marin Alsop, David Effron, and Gunther Schuller.

[6] During his three-year tenure, he expanded the renown of the Skylight's reputation, conducting the world premiere of Somtow Sucharitkul’s The Snow Dragon and serving as both musical and stage director for Ludwig van Beethoven's Fidelio in a Bollywood setting, starring Cassandra Black in the lead role.

[7] In 2017 Subbaraman, increasingly recognized as a leading conductor of new works, was tapped to be the music director for Opera Philadelphia's world premiere production of We Shall Not Be Moved, a collaboration between composer Daniel Bernard Roumain and poet/spoken word artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph, with stage direction and choreography by Bill T.

[8] Subbaraman subsequently led the show at the Apollo Theater in New York City and at the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam.

Highlights of his tenure with the Orchestre National de France include the world premiere of the Overture du Roi Lear by Paul Dukas, a performance of the Stravinsky Octet with soloists of the orchestra in the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and the French premiere of the Symphony for Trombone and Orchestra by Ernst Bloch, which has been recorded and released under the title Tranquille through the districlassic label.

Opera Vista and Subbaraman were also honored with the 2010 Mastermind Award from the Houston Press for artistic creativity and innovative outreach.