Music afficionados were all ears to the Canada–India Youth Orchestra concert held at Chowdaiah Memorial Hall recently.
Organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and the Consulate of Canada in Bangalore, it was a unique collaboration between the National Youth Orchestra of Canada and young musicians from India.
They performed Dvorak’s ‘New World’ symphony, Bach’s ‘double violin concerto’, and other orchestral compositions under the baton of maestro Alain Trudel. Alain Trudel, the conductor of the show, was thrilled to be here in the City and said that his team and he learnt a lot from the Indian culture.
Before the event, Alan explained what he had in store for the audience. “The team consists of 35 young musicians from India and 35 from Canada. The concert is an extension of the friendship between the two countries. To begin with, we will be presenting a composition by Bach. A violinist from India and one from Canada will lead. They will be accompanied by the rest of the team. This will be followed by the Pulcinella, a piece composed by Igor Stravinsky,” he said.
“We have a surprise for the audience in the second-half of the programme and we will humbly present what we have learnt in India. India is a melting pot of cultures and it is a very welcoming country,” he added.
Once they started performing, with their effortless and perfect synchronisation, they won the hearts of one and all in the audience.
While the first of Bach’s composition performed by the team was lively and energetic, the second-half was dramatic and suspense filled. This was the perfect start to the show. Not to mention the variety in terms of instruments in the orchestra.
The team had all that one could ask for — from violin, trombone, viola, French horn, clarinet and cello to bassoon, double bass, oboe, flute, trumpet, bass trombone and timpani.
Arun Rozario, who was managing the project from India, informed that some of the best musicians from all across the country have come under one roof for this performance. “It is a great effort from both the sides and has been a learning experience. Earlier this year, we had visited Canada and have learnt a lot from their team as well,” he explained.
The audience was in for a surprise as the team performed two Indian classical numbers in raga malhar and sriranjini.
The team looked comfortable and poised even when they performed the Indian numbers and the audience applauded them for the beautiful effort.
Rebecca, who was there with her family, could be seen enjoying the show. “They were brilliant and the amount of coordination that they displayed today was spellbinding. This is one of the best orchestras that I have witnessed,” she noted.
