NCPA Mumbai – Looking Ahead
After a fulfilling first quarter, the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai has a lot in store for the coming summer, while it charts the way forward taking cognisance of the lasting impact of the pandemic on the world of culture.
By Aishwarya Bodke
Acclaimed performances, international collaborations and successful outreach and educational initiatives in the first quarter of 2023 have set the tone for what the rest of the year promises to be at the NCPA, even as the world of culture continues to grapple with the long-term impact of the pandemic at large.
“Apart from the obvious after-effects of the pandemic, one gradually realises the effect it has had on not only the personal lives of people and their professions, but also on the serious performing arts business worldwide. We at the NCPA are reviewing the situation to gain better insights into programming and other measures that must be taken to attract audiences in large numbers,” says Mr. Khushroo N. Suntook, Chairman, NCPA.
Under NCPA@thePark, an initiative that was launched to break the lockdown ennui by taking the joy of music, dance and theatre to outdoor spaces in the city of Mumbai, performances were regularly presented against the backdrop of the sea, in public gardens and amphitheatres in the pleasant months of January to March. The 30th season of the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI) with many Indian debuts concluded recently, paving the way for what’s to follow. Later this year, the SOI is all set to perform under the baton of a world-renowned conductor and is gearing up for international tours.
NCPA@thePark takes the performing arts to open public spaces in Mumbai
NCPA@thePark takes the performing arts to open public spaces in Mumbai
Technical upgradation of venues at the NCPA is an important facet of our activities. The Dilip Piramal Art Gallery, renamed after its generous donor, recently reopened after refurbishment and improvements. With controlled lighting, non-reflective walls, movable partitions and an advanced audio-visual system, the state-of-the-art venue dedicated to photography provides a holistic space for exhibitions, workshops and other events. It was inaugurated in the presence of Mr. Khushroo N. Suntook, Mr. Dilip Piramal and chief guest Mr. Harsh Goenka.
The state-of-the-art Dilip Piramal Art Gallery
Every April, the NCPA joins in International Jazz Day celebrations that take place across the world. Curated by India’s well-known jazz musician Louiz Banks, we bring some of the finest musicians and singers to the iconic Tata Theatre. The 12th edition will feature the Louiz Banks Fusion Ensemble and an up-and-coming band The Act, comprising young musicians between the ages of 15 and 19 among other artistes. A French ensemble featuring pianist Jean-Christophe Cholet, saxophonist Vincent Mascat and drummer Quentin Cholet is also part of the exciting line-up.
MaMoGi, an all-star trio of Gino Banks, Mohini Dey and Mark Hartsuch, will perform a programme of progressive rock, electronic and jazz in the following month.
Mark Hartsuch, Mohini Dey and Gino Banks of the MaMoGi
The music continues with Saz-e-Bahar, a two-day festival of Indian instrumental music held in April. In its 10th year, the festival line-up includes Vijay Ghate on tabla, U. Rajesh on mandolin, Kushal Das on sitar and Joydeep Mukherjee on the rarely played sursingar and the mohanveena. Audiences will also be treated to performances by eminent musicians including flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia, sitar player Niladri Kumar and vocalists Bhuvanesh Komkali and Ulhas Kashalkar as part of the birth centenary of Kumar Gandharva, one of the greatest vocalists and composers of Indian music.
Sitar played Kushal Das will be performing at Saz-e-Bahar
Tabla player Vijay Ghate will be performing at Saz-e-Bahar
Kalajayee – Celebrating the Birth Centenary of Kumar Gandharva will be presented in April over two days
There is much to look forward to for dance enthusiasts. The upcoming edition of the NCPA Mudra Dance Festival, which takes place every year around International Dance Day in April, explores a unique theme, Aparajita – the one who didn’t stop till she won. The festival celebrates women who have conquered physical and emotional challenges and returned to outshine the stage light. Noted artistes Sonal Mansingh, Sandhya Purecha, Rajashree Shirke and Sutapa Talukdar will enthral audiences. A reading from the late Mohinattam exponent Kanak Rele’s autobiography will feature in a tribute during the festival.
Acclaimed Odissi and Bharatanatyam dancer Sonal Mansingh will perform at the NCPA Mudra Dance Festival in April
The celebration doesn’t stop there as acclaimed international dancer and choreographer Akram Khan’s anticipated solo, Xenos, will be coming to the NCPA in June. This marks his final performance as a dancer in a full-length piece. Xenos is a blend of kathak and contemporary, of the East and the West.
The NCPA is committed to making the performing arts more accessible. The SOI Music Academy is an example of our persistent endeavour in expanding the scope and standard of education in Western classical music in India. In an annual concert in April that showcases the journey of the students, the SOI Academy Orchestra will perform under Music Director Marat Bisengaliev. The concert will also feature the students as soloists with the SOI Chamber Orchestra. In a heartening development, Ayaan Deshpande, a student of the academy, is all set to perform in the land of Mozart in June as the winner of the Golden Key of Vienna Music Festival. The nine-year-old has also won the second prize in the composition category.
The SOI Academy Orchestra with Music Director Marat Bisengaliev
A fine theatrical experience is in store as the annual Marathi theatre festival, Pratibimb Marathi Natya Utsav, will return this May. The festival is a melange of plays, readings, campus tours, talks and discussions with a line-up including popular as well as experimental plays. This edition will also see the premiere of the winning play of Darpan, the new Marathi writing initiative launched by the NCPA. True to its name, Pratibimb offers a reflection of the vibrant tradition of theatre in the Indian state of Maharashtra, known for its thought-provoking themes that present the world around us in a new light.
A play from the new Marathi writing initiative Darpan will be staged at the Praibimb Marathi Natya Utsav in May (Photo by Narendra Dangiya)