Symphony Orchestra of India returns to Bengaluru for an evening of western classical music

Following the debut of its off-campus initiative — NCPA@ thePark in March, the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai, returns to Bengaluru with yet another unique concert by the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI). This performance features child prodigy Ayaan Deshpande, who will be playing the piano. He will perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21, while the other pieces that will be part of the performance include Rossini’s String Sonata No. 3 and Respighi’s Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No. 3. We speak to Khushroo N Suntook, chairman, NCPA and co-founder, SOI, to uncover everything around this upcoming performance.

“Ayaan will play a piano concerto by Mozart. There are some Rossini string quartet sonatas. Rossini, of course, was a famous opera composer. He stopped composing about 30 years before he died and devoted himself to gastronomy. He is not very well known in India and therefore through this program people can hear something other than his more popular pieces,” begins Khushroo.

Talking about how he came across Ayaan, Khushroo says, “He was a student with our academy and is exceptionally talented. I do not wish that he should be overexposed. Many great talents in this world are wonderful till a certain age, until people take them around too much and they burn out.”

When asked how the group decided on the setlist for the performance, the co-founder reveals, “In the good old days we used to sit together and do it all ourselves, but now the younger ones are taking a more active part in it. They’ve become far more mature. They sit down with Marat Bisengaliev (music director of SOI) and finalise the setlist.” Following their performance in Bengaluru, SOI has two concerts each of Austrian composer Johann Strauss and German composer Richard Georg Strauss. They have four performances by Indian conductor of Western classical music Zubin Mehta and people can also look forward to several world class conductors coming in February and March next year.

Entry free. June 29, 7 pm. At Prestige Srihari Khoday Centre for Performing Arts, Konanakunte.

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