The melodic spirit of the Bangalore School of Music's 30-year association with the city is being celebrated with 100 artistes from India and other countries taking part in BSM’s East West Music and Dance Encounter over the next month at different venues in Bengaluru.
“Apart from bringing together well-known names of western music from Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Poland, Canada, Germany and France, BSM is also providing workshops and master-classes by the performing artistes,” says Vikram Sunderlal, son of BSM Founder, Aruna Sunderlal who passed away last year.
“My mother had the school collaborate with the Royal College of Music in Sweden nearly two decades ago to help develop choirs and orchestras. She was a professionally-trained mezzo-soprano, and founded the school at a time when Western classical music was considered too English. Cut to today where BSM trains more than 600 students every year with nearly 30 teachers on board.”
M.R. Jagadeesh, Director-Operations, BSM, adds that the East-West Music and Dance Encounter was initiated with an organizing committee comprising experts from both Indian and Western Classical Music, with renowned scientist and pianist as Dr. Raja Ramanna, Vainika Dr. Doraiswamy Iyengar, scholar B. V. K Shastry amongst other representatives from the Department of Kannada and Culture and ICCR. “This year too some exceptional concerts, seminars, panel discussions, workshops and master classes are planned to help students imbibe cross-cultural techniques.”
Some of the star performers include renowned international artistes as Marialena Fernandes, Autrian Pianist, Trio Viennair on Flute, Oboe and Clarinet; and World music by Sitarist Smita Nagdev and Adarsh Shenoy on Tabla; and the Christian Berger Band from Switzerland on Oudh, Double Bass, Piano, Drums and Simply Schubert (The Bangalore Men: All-male ensemble of The Bangalore School of Music led by Jonas Olsson) and piano solos by Natallia Kapylova, a fusion evening by Geetha Navale on veena and Gopal Navale on Guitar, French Countertenor Thierry Gregoire singing popular opera arias, The Hefi Quartet of Poland, The Madras Guitar Quintet headed by Samuel Thangadurai, apart from BSM Starstrings Orchestra, Sukrupa Children’s Choir, and BSM Children's Choir.
“The East West Music and Dance will have a truly special event in this edition where a specially-commissioned sketch of the old Bangalore School of Music building, by Bangalore-based artiste, Paul Fernandes, will be auctioned on February 26 at aPaulogy Gallery in Richard’s Town. The proceeds will be used for the music education of deserving youngsters,” Jagadeesh adds.
The events will be spread across venues including Guru Nanak Bhavan, Aruna Sunderlal Auditorium (Bangalore School of Music), St. Joseph’s Boys’ High School, Jagriti Theatre, St Mark’s Cathedral, St Andrew’s Church, Jawahar Bal Bhavan, and aPaulogy Gallery.
