An Enduring Association
From landmark festivals and global partnerships to initiatives that take the arts beyond its walls, the NCPA Mumbai continues to reaffirm its role as India’s premier home for the performing arts.
By Aishwarya Bodke
For over five decades, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Mumbai has upheld its role as a hub of artistic excellence, nurturing Indian artistes while also hosting international talent and facilitating cultural exchange. The global partnerships cultivated by the NCPA with its counterparts across the world have been central to this pursuit, one of the most significant ones being with the Association of Asia Pacific Performing Arts Centres (AAPPAC).
The NCPA has been a member of the AAPPAC since 2008, under the leadership of Chairman Khushroo N. Suntook, who recognised the potential of such an alliance in encouraging the exchange of ideas, talent and expertise. His recent election to the Executive Committee of the AAPPAC is a testament to his vision and the role of the NCPA in representing India on the world stage. This year also marks 25 years of the leadership of Mr Suntook at the NCPA, a milestone celebrated this August.
Over the years, the NCPA has been a consistent presence at AAPPAC’s annual gatherings, engaging with member institutions on challenges and opportunities unique to the performing arts in Asia and beyond. One such exchange at the AAPPAC Conference in Brisbane in 2023 brought to Mumbai Australia-based CDP Theatre Producers’ Meeting Mozart, an interactive production commissioned by the Sydney Opera House to introduce children to the joys of classical music. The show, presented in Jul, was warmly welcomed by audiences here.
This Oct, a delegation from the NCPA—comprising General Manager – SOI & Western Classical Music Bianca Mendonca, General Manager – Chairman’s Office and International Music Farrahnaz Irani and consultant to the Symphony Orchestra of India Nikhil Sardana—will travel to Daejeon, South Korea, for the annual conference on the theme, From Local Inspiration to Global Influence. The three-day event will bring together leaders of the performing arts world to exchange ideas, experience Korea’s cultural capital, and explore the evolving role of theatre in global integration through the arts.
Peter Cincotti, Nicki Parrott, Mike Stern, Denis Chambers and Brian Bromberg will be performing at the NCPA International Jazz Festival
Back home, the most-anticipated jazz experience of the year, the NCPA International Jazz Festival, awaits the audiences in November. Singer and pianist Peter Cincotti, Australian vocalist and bass player Nicki Parrott, Grammy-award nominated guitarist Mike Stern and drummer Denis Chambers make for a stellar line-up this year. Bassist and composer Brian Bromberg will conclude the three days of invigorating live music at the Tata Theatre.
The 28th edition of Artie’s Festival
Fresh from a successful concert in Almaty, Kazakhstan, led by Music Director Marat Bisengaliev, the NCPA’s homegrown orchestra returns to Mumbai as the centre prepares to present the 28th edition of Artie’s Festival this Oct. Curated by cellist Gauthier Herrmann and Mr. Suntook since its inception, the festival will feature soprano Marion Tassou, pianist Ismaël Margain and violinist Mathilde Borsarello-Herrmann.
The concluding months of the year at the NCPA are marked by a tapestry of performances and festivals rooted in Indian musical traditions. Among them, the Citi NCPA Aadi Anant: From Here to Eternity holds a salient place with performances by maestros of Indian music. This December, the festival will open with master percussionist Trilok Gurtu along with Rahul Wadhwani (keys), Anantha Krishnan (mridangam), Evan Slack (guitar) and beloved singer Sid Sriram. This year, Aadi Anant will also travel to the city of Chennai in southern India with a performance by Ashwini Bhinde Deshpande.
Aadi Anant has traditionally commenced with an opening concert by tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain. The festival acknowledges the irremediable void left behind in his passing. The NCPA will commemorate the first death anniversary of the tabla legend and its esteemed former council member this Dec. Presentations by brilliant artistes from diverse fields will unfold over two days, featuring Hussain’s fusion bands Shakti and Cross Currents, his family members including Taufiq Qureshi, Isabella Qureshi and Anisa Qureshi, noted vocalist Ajoy Chakrabarty, sarod player Amjad Ali Khan, actress Shabana Azmi, as well as a photo exhibition by Dayanita Singh.
Eminent lyricist and filmmaker Gulzar
The centre cherishes its longstanding relationships with artistes who have returned to the NCPA stage year after year. Among them is Gulzar, one of India’s finest lyricists and filmmakers, who has written poems in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi, and translated works from Bangla and Marathi. The Oscar-winning poet will lead Aamchi Mumbai, a musical panorama of tales from the Maximum City. The show is conceived and curated by well-known writer and director Salim Arif.
Yadavan Chandran’s Meanwhile Elsewhere, produced by Mallika Sarabhai
Nakshatra Dance Festival is a much-anticipated event on the dance calendar of the city, centred around group choreographies by celebrated ensembles. Mohiniattam by Sunanda Nair and Troupe and Odissi by Bichitrananda Swain’s Rudrakshya Foundation will kick off the festival in Oct. Another highlight is Meanwhile Elsewhere, written and directed by Yadavan Chandran and produced by Mallika Sarabhai.
The NCPA is committed to presenting a wide spectrum of dance styles, along with the classical repertoire. The Contemporary Dance Festival in Nov will bring together both established and emerging choreographers and dancers from India and across the world. Innovative showcases by choreographers Sangeeta Sharma, Kohinoor Sen Barat and Avantika Bahl are in store. The Pravaha Dance Festival takes centre stage in Dec, which dedicatedly presents new creations and productions that have not been performed in Mumbai. The line-up spans myriad classical dance presentations as well as a multidisciplinary performance by Les Petites Choses Production from Taiwan.
The commitment to offering the audience a diverse range of performances is also reflected in the annual festival One World Many Musics: Celebrating Artistic Plurality, which fosters a cross-cultural understanding of music. The upcoming edition features the Indian Choral Ensemble, uniting singers from across the country to weave Western choral harmonies with Indian melodies. The festival will also showcase the much-loved lyricist, playback singer, actor and writer Swanand Kirkire, who brings his live musical venture Baawra, an interactive experience that invites audiences to become part of the performance.
Art of the Possible (AOTP) is a development programme and a free resource launched by the NCPA for professionals in the performing arts and live events industry. Designers, technicians, stage and production managers can benefit from the community hub as it aims to enhance creative and operational expertise, boost career opportunities, and raise the overall quality and safety within the largely informal sector. AOTP is also the community partner for World Stage Design 2025 in Sharjah—a festival celebrating global performance design—scheduled to take place in Oct. The following month, professionals from TAIT UK, a pioneering force in the global live entertainment industry delivering audience-centric experiences, will conduct a series of workshops at the NCPA on creative use of technology in enhancing production quality.
The end of the year also ushers in the NCPA@ThePark series, a community initiative to take the gift of the performing arts to the outdoors, in public spaces across the city. Every weekend, audiences can enjoy an eclectic mix of music, dance, spoken word and stand-up comedy under the open sky. With this series, the NCPA closes the year as it began, by reaffirming its commitment to making the arts accessible, inclusive and an integral part of everyday life.