Striking high notes

Jania Aubakirova,an acclaimed Kazakh concert pianist,is rehearsing for her performance at the venue along with the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI),slated to take place on February 9. “She’s performing the Busoni transcription of Bach’s

Chaconne in D minor,” conductor and violinist par excellence Marat Bisengaliev informs us,“There are many difficult pieces that the SOI can now play with expertise and we’re very proud of that.”

Justifiably so. The SOI has been in existence for a mere four years and already it’s the subject of much discussion in classical music circles abroad. “We frequently get requests from symphony orchestras abroad for a collaboration. In fact,in June,the SOI has been invited to perform at the prestigious Moscow Festival,” NCPA chairman Khushroo L. Suntook tells us proudly.

The eighth season of the SOI’s celebrity concerts,which starts next week,will see,apart from Aubakirova,renowned conductors Evgeny Bushkov and Johannes Wildner and performances of classic romantic pieces from the 19th century. The works will include Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 6

Pathetique and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade,works which are known for being the real tests of a fledgling orchestra’s prowess. Conductor Zane Dalal,who’s been working with the orchestra for three years and has been instrumental in its growth,puts the choice of pieces to be played in perspective. “You cast a young actor to play Hamlet,but you can’t cast him to play King Lear,since that’s a role that requires experience. Similarly,it’s well known that there are certain pieces which can only be played by an experienced orchestra.” And the SOI has managed to get quite a lot of experience in its early stage. “The orchestra recently played with the well-known Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra and the musicians more than held their own,” he says. Similarly,when the SOI had presented a full scale performance of Giacomo Puccini’s opera,Madama Butterfly,the applause had been universal.

It all comes down to picking the musicians with care,Bisengaliev informs us. “We have the highest standards when it comes to forming the orchestra. We cannot afford to slip up there. What we’re doing is not just grooming musicians; we’re also actively engaged in building a fan base for this music.” For this,the NCPA and SOI has used the Suzuki method to spread education in classical music among young school children. “We also have classes for parents of these children and trainers to train local teachers. Apart from this,we’re also giving lectures about classical music to create a class of informed listeners.”

In the meantime,the SOI is enjoying the renown it has attained in a short period of time. Dalal himself left Los Angeles to work with a new orchestra because he saw great potential for growth here. “There is lots of talent here,we just need to be patient. In the beginning,there was great scepticism about the SOI. But look how much we’ve achieved in four years—which are mere minutes in the life of an orchestra. Mumbai is now considered an international destination by other orchestras.”