A date with Mozart and British royalty

Mumbai has a lot to look forward to this September with NCPA playing host to some of the finest global artistes

In most places in India, or for that matter anywhere else in the world, the thrill of listening to a Beethoven or Mozart composition can only be achieved with the help of earphones. Listening to an artist performing the maestros' compositions live may prove to be an elusive dream for most of us. But not if you can make your way to the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai this September. As a part of its founder Jamshed Bhabha's 100th birth anniversary celebrations, NCPA is hosting a brand new season of the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI). Titled "Western Classical Season: Autumn 2014", the event will pay tribute to the genius of Beethoven and Mozart. SOI was founded by NCPA Chairman Khushroo N Suntook and internationally acclaimed Kazakh violinist Marat Bisengaliev. In the last five years, SOI Seasons have featured a wide repertoire ranging from ballets, operas as well as challenging symphonic pieces of some of the greatest composers.

September, in fact, will be a packed month at NCPA with a series of events lined up. Performing at the Western Classical Season will be a number of international artistes, including Portuguese pianist Maria João Pires, touted as one of the greatest pianists of all time. Pires, along with violinists Augustin Dumay and Liya Petrova and viola player Adrien la Marca, will present an all-Mozart night on September 23. While Pires will play Mozart's Piano Concerto No 9, Dumay will perform the composer's Concerto No 3.

Alongside Pires will be British conductor Duncan Ward. SOI's resident conductor Zane Dalal will present an all-Beethoven concert and also talk about the German composer's motifs, accomplishments and the historical legacy of his works. Russian violinist Alina Ibragimova will perform Beethoven's complete violin sonatas. Only 28, Ibragimova is a recipient of the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Young Artist Award and Emily Anderson Prize. Other artistes performing this season include pianists Maciej Pikulski and Cedric Tiberghien and cellist Gauthier Herman.

Also to watch out for is NCPA's fifth theatre production, The Buckingham Secret. The play, which is a Silly Point Production, gives a rare glimpse into the British royal family and reveals a secret that was well-kept for over a century. To the world, the British royal family is suave and much celebrated, but what happens behind the closed doors of the Buckingham Palace is an enigma. Directed by Meherzad Patel with Sabira Merchant in the lead, the play is a humorous take on British royalty.

Among other events, the NCPA Centre for the Promotion of Arts and Culture Trust will present the Nakshatra Dance Festival, showcasing classical dance traditions that are ancient in essence, yet continually evolving. The fifth edition of the festival will bring together some of the finest classical dancer-choreographers who have displayed startlingly contemporary sensibilities throughout their careers. This year will include performances by Chitra Visweswaran, Uma Dogra, Sruti Bandopadhay, Ratikant Mohapatra and Sadanam Balakrishnan. Visweswaran is among the leading exponents of classical dance in India. Along with being a great exponent of Bharatnatyam, she is also trained in ballet. The festival will hold workshops on dance scholarships conducted by learned scholars and scholarship holders of various dance forms, and an Odissi group dance choreography workshop by Mohapatra.

Later in the month, the centre will organise a special screening of Vikings - Life and Legend, a short film in collaboration with the British Museum. The specially produced educational film will take viewers on a tour of the British Museum's new exhibit on the Vikings and offer insight into their life and time. The film features features various Viking experiments, sword fights and even Viking-style food.

For details, visit www.ncpamumbai.com