Thiruvananthapuram is in for a cultural shift beginning this Saturday as the Cochin Chamber Orchestra, a 30-piece orchestra and five soloists, perform major compositions of Bach, Mozart, Faure, Puccini, Liszt and Schubert at Co-Bank auditorium, complete with a grand piano.
Performing arts aficionado Satish Kamath is on a high as he is realising a dream through a newly-launched Trivandrum Centre for Performing Arts (TCPA) – an initiative backed by a group of prominent entrepreneurs in the city who share Satish’s passion for the arts.
Satish, programme director of TCPA, is excited that some of India’s best Western classical performers are, in fact, homegrown talents.
“Did you know that Carol George, one of the best professional violinists of India, and a front bench member of the Symphony Orchestra of India, is from Kochi?” he asks, reeling off names of the other performers for the night including Ashwati Parameshwar from Ottappalam who will be singing three arias in the orchestra, Subin Kumar from Kottayam, Mitali Saraf who was raised in Kochi, and Julian Clef.
“Then there is violinist Martina Joy Peter from Bengaluru who will be the second soloist in Saturday’s Bach Double concerto.”
Satish calls it the “biggest ever” orchestra, conducted by Pradeep Singh, to play Western classical music in Thiruvananthapuram. The first half will have longer, serious pieces including Mozart’s complete piano concerto and Bach’s double violin concerto while the second half will be of a lighter calibre, with short beautiful pieces of over seven composers of solos, arias and orchestral delights.
Through TCPA, the patrons, including C. Balagopal, a bureaucrat turned entrepreneur, V.K. Mathews, executive chairman of IBS Software, and Thomas John Muthoot, chairman and managing director of Muthoot Pappachan Group, hope to bring performing arts of national and international repute to Thiruvananthapuram. “In Thiruvananthapuram, the promotion of Kerala or South-Indian music and dance has largely been done by the government and a few NGOs through specific events. Performing arts from the rest of the country, like the north-east, northern and western Indian forms have not been well promoted. Through TCPA, we hope to have a pan-India cultural flavour and even international arts presented in the city throughout the year,” says Balagopal.
To achieve the same, one of the first decisions the founders took was to ensure that the city has its own grand piano. When five to six of the founder members came together, a grand piano for Thiruvananthapuram became a reality. “Many troupes didn’t come simply because we only had an electric piano and that was not acceptable. They require a grand piano,” says Satish, whose efforts a few years ago to procure a grand piano made little headway. “There weren’t enough funds. This has been in the works for three years.”
The piano, sourced from Singapore, will find its home in an outhouse adjoining Satish’s residence in Vazhuthacaud where renovation is on to accommodate a hall and office as the privileged guest arrives. For a small fee, those interested can also practise on the grand piano.
“At least 150 senior students are sent for piano examinations abroad every year from Thiruvananthapuram. The programmes TCPA plans to have in the city would cater to them. Renting a grand piano, the nearest source being Kochi, amounts to Rs 1.25 lakhs a day. When five to six of the founder members came together, a grand piano for Thiruvananthapuram became a reality,” he adds.
Apart from collaborating with cultural organisations like Indian Council for Cultural Relations, NCPA, Alliance Francaise, Max Muller Bhavan and embassies of various countries, TCPA will also organise lectures and interactive sessions on fine arts and music in educational institutions.
“Organisations like TCPA will be an important component to raise the attractiveness of the city to well-informed youth from all parts of the country,” says Mathews.
The founders have lofty ambitions for TCPA, including a permanent venue in the city and at least 14 to 16 events of music, dance and drama throughout the year. “We plan to have an auditorium and facilities for related activities on the premises in the next five to seven years. This needs support from the public, private, corporate institutions and entities, and the government,” says Thomas John.
A group called Chamber Music Guild will also be formed for the public to avail themselves of memberships for an annual fee.“They can attend all the events for free then. Apart from that we are planning four mega concerts a year which will be ticketed,” Satish says. Saturday’s event is by invitation.
Passes will be given on a first come first serve basis. SMS your names to 9446321398. If passes are available at the time the SMS is sent, the seat numbers will be messaged back. Produce the same at the hall. SMS-allotted passes should be collected at the entrance before 6 p.m. Gates to the hall close at 6.14 p.m. The concert starts at 6.15 p.m.
Children under 10 will not be allowed.
HOMEGROWN TALENTS
JULIAN CLEF
A popular face in the city, Julian performs to packed halls in Thiruvananthapuram. He is a pianist who performs regularly Europe, America and Canada. He resides in London.
CAROL GEORGE
Carol is a winner of the All-India violin competition held in Goa. Carol is from Vypeen, Kochi. He will perform the first violin part in the Bach double violin concerto.
MITALI SARAF
Born and brought up in Ernakulam, Mitali studied piano from the age of seven from Anthony Aleesh She won piano competitions for four years in the Kerala Youth festival. She graduated with a masters degree in performance from Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She has performed all over the U.K. including IN RCS piano festival in Edinburgh Festival and is doing her Ph.D in musicology.
ASHWATI PARMESHWAR
Trained in Carnatic music as a vocalist, Ashwati turned to Western classical music at the age of 13. She pursued a BA in English and Western Music from St.Lawrence University in New York, graduating magna cum laude in 2004. She has sung in several operas as soloist and has given recitals all over India.
MARTINA JOY PETER
Joy is from Bengaluru. At 17, Joy has won both the Edger Fewkes Award for outstanding musician, Philomena Thambuchetty award for the promising violinist and received a Diploma at the South and East Asian Diploma Graduation ceremony of ABRSM in Singapore in April this year. She is the second soloist in the Bach double violin concerto.
SUBIN KUMAR
He plays regularly with the Cochin Chamber Orchestra and has had many solo performances with them. He is to play the Czardas of Monti with Mitali Saraf.
