Rising to a Crescendo

The final quarter of the year holds the promise of an extraordinary experience with great artistes performing at the NCPA.

By Aishwarya Bodke

With a packed calendar of quality performances, the end of 2022 brings with it a sense of triumph over testing times. With a commitment to delivering the best to our audience, the National Centre for the Performing Arts Mumbai (NCPA), under the leadership of Chairman Mr. Khushroo N. Suntook, has worked tirelessly to plan and prepare for the seasons ahead. The upcoming months are a culmination of these concerted efforts, now reaching a crescendo.

September marked the attainment of an ambitious new height as the SOI Autumn 2022 Season took off. With remarkable programming and world-renowned artistes, including pianists Pavel Kolesnikov, Benjamin Grosvenor and conductors Alpesh Chauhan and Richard Farnes—many of whom made their India debut—the concerts met with resounding success. As the Season progresses, it will bring to India a fully-staged production of Johann Strauss II’s beloved operetta, Die Fledermaus, presented in collaboration with the Hungarian State Opera, with the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI) in the pit. To be performing with a major European company is indeed an honour for the orchestra, made possible through the wide connections of Mr. Suntook and senior consultants in Western classical music. The international standard of the SOI, thanks to the training by Music Director Marat Bisengaliev and senior musicians, now attracts artistes of high calibre and important collaborations.

The Hungarian State Opera will perform the beloved operetta Die Fledermaus with the Symphony Orchestra of India

“I am delighted that performances at our theatres are now emerging even stronger than before the pandemic struck us down for more than two years. In the next few months, the SOI and other major performances by our Indian and International music, Dance and Theatre genres would reach notable heights,” says Mr. Suntook.

The next quarter will witness a legendary maestro, renowned for his expressiveness on the podium and unparalleled interpretation of classical repertoire, conduct the SOI. Concerts such as these do not materialise often, and we will reveal the name nearer the time.

There is much to look forward to for theatre enthusiasts as we stage a new NCPA production of Tom Stoppard’s rarely performed masterpiece, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour. With music composed by composer-conductor André Previn, it is a play with six actors and a 40-piece live orchestra—a feat enabled by the fact that the NCPA is a multi-genre organisation with an in-house orchestra. Set in Soviet Russia, the play revolves around a man held captive in a mental asylum for speaking out against the government. He shares a cell with a schizophrenic, who believes he has a symphony orchestra to conduct.

The cast of Every Good Boy Deserves Favour includes Denzil Smith, Neil Bhoopalam and Sohrab Ardeshir

One World Many Musics: Celebrating Artistic Plurality, a two-day festival, will showcase myriad musical forms reaffirming the peaceful co-existence of cultural plurality in the world. The programme includes Sitar Rhapsody with sitarist Chirag Katti, bass guitarist Hansel Dias, Dharmesh Maru on keyboards, Siddharth Nagarajan on drums, Rupak Dhamankar on tabla and saxophonist I. D. Rao. The ensemble will blend raga-based melodies with elements of blues. Day two will see the beloved rock band, Agnee, known for its deep-rooted Indian sound and stirring music inspired by Kabir’s poetry as well as Vedic and Carnatic music.

Chirag Katti’s fusion ensemble Sitar Rhapsody will perform at One World Many Musics festival

The highly anticipated NCPA International Jazz Festival 2022 will pack three days of invigorating live music. The line-up of Grammy-nominated musicians—Monty Alexander, The Mingus Big Band and The Thilo Wolf Jazz Quartet featuring Johanna Iser—from across the world will come together for an unforgettable experience.

Grammy-nominated pianist Monty Alexander will perform at the NCPA International Jazz Festival 2022

The next quarter will also offer mesmerising dance performances with the Nakshatra Dance Festival. It will showcase iconic productions presented over the past decade as well as some new works by masters of the form. Odissi by Ratikant Mohapatra and Srjan, Kathak by Kumudini Lakhia’s Kadamb and Bharatanatyam by Leela Samson and Spanda, and a production of Ramayana by the Kalakshetra Foundation will unfold over three days this winter.

Renowned Bharatanatyam artiste Leela Samson and Spanda dance company will perform at NCPA Nakshatra Dance Festival 2022

Winter is also the season when Indian expatriates from around the world visit the country. With a remarkable line-up of international artistes and a dazzling showcase of Indian art forms to end the year, a visit to the NCPA is a must on the itinerary.