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India's first professional symphony orchestra makes international debut

Moscow: India on Saturday created history by fielding its first professional symphony orchestra in the Fifth Festival of World's Symphony Orchestras here, and winning the applause of Muscovites, one of the most demanding audiences in the world.

The Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI), during its maiden foreign trip, performed Beethoven's 9th symphony in the finale of the 10-day festival in the historical House of Columns, once the club of Russian Imperial gentry.

The SOI was formed by the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in 2006.

“Bringing a symphony orchestra to Moscow is like taking coals to Newcastle,” Khushroo Suntook, chairman of the Mumbai-based NCPA, told PTI.

The Fifth World Symphony Orchestra Festival was organised as part of the celebrations for Day of Russia that falls on June 12.

National Symphony Orchestra of China, Presidential Symphony Orchestra of Turkey, Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Russia and Seoul Philharmonic gave accompaniment to the SOI at the concert, conducted by Russia's Alexander Anissimov.

Mr. Suntook, who has widely travelled in the East and the West while working for the Tatas earlier, said he developed a taste for genuine music, be it classic Indian or Western.

Big role

Renowned Kazakh musician and conductor Marat Bisengaliev played a big role in making the SOI a reality, Mr. Suntook said, recalling their first meeting.

“It was a free evening in London; I just bought the ticket to a performance of the Kazakh orchestra. I was so impressed by the performance that I invited Marat to India. It was in 2003.”

Asked whether he could help India in the creation of its professional symphony orchestra, Mr. Marat agreed to help, and invited good musicians and teachers from Russia, Japan, Korea and Kazakhstan.

“Today we have 20 Indians out of 86 musicians from 14 countries. I have a dream of bringing their ratio to 50 per cent and the nationwide search for talent is underway,” Mr. Suntook said. — PTI

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