<p class="bodytext">Through a series of concerts, Bengalureans will be treated to music from iconic operas such as ‘Carmen’ by French composer Georges Bizet, ‘La Traviata’ by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, and ‘Romeo et Juliet’ by French composer Charles Gounod.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The concerts, titled ‘Peace Notes’, will be performed by the South Asian Symphony Orchestra (SASO), founded by Nirupama Rao, former foreign secretary of India, and her husband Sudhakar Rao, former chief secretary, government of Karnataka. The ensemble will be conducted by Maria Badstue. The 25-member orchestra includes two opera singers, Cheryl Bains (soprano) and Alok Kumar (tenor). They will be accompanied with violin, viola, cello, double bass, percussion, obo, and flute. In the past, they have had members from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Singapore, Uzbekistan, USA and Bhutan. A number of Afghan musicians were part of the ensemble before the Taliban took over in 2021.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“I have always had a deep interest in music, though I am not formally trained in it. An orchestra is a representation of how a society should work - people collaborating, working together and understanding that everyone has an equally important role to play,” shares Nirupama, who set up the orchestra in 2018.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The SASO is one of only a handful of symphony orchestras in India. Nirupama believes that as a country, we are only now opening up to western classical music. “In China, every little city has a symphony orchestra,” notes Nirupama, who has served as the Indian ambassador in China. The challenges of running a symphony orchestra, she says, are mostly financial and finding talent. She uses her personal connections and social media groups to find musicians best suited for the ensemble.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Apart from the concerts, they will hold a workshop on ‘Leadership and Collaboration in Music’. Participants will learn how singers and conductors work and interact together during performances.</p>.<p class="bodytext">‘Peace Notes’, August 2, 5 pm, at Christ University auditorium, Hosur Road, and August 3, 6.30 pm, at Bangalore International Centre, Domlur. Workshop on August 4, 7 pm, at Sabha Blr, Kamaraj Road. Details on symphonyofsouthasia.org</p>
<p class="bodytext">Through a series of concerts, Bengalureans will be treated to music from iconic operas such as ‘Carmen’ by French composer Georges Bizet, ‘La Traviata’ by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, and ‘Romeo et Juliet’ by French composer Charles Gounod.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The concerts, titled ‘Peace Notes’, will be performed by the South Asian Symphony Orchestra (SASO), founded by Nirupama Rao, former foreign secretary of India, and her husband Sudhakar Rao, former chief secretary, government of Karnataka. The ensemble will be conducted by Maria Badstue. The 25-member orchestra includes two opera singers, Cheryl Bains (soprano) and Alok Kumar (tenor). They will be accompanied with violin, viola, cello, double bass, percussion, obo, and flute. In the past, they have had members from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Singapore, Uzbekistan, USA and Bhutan. A number of Afghan musicians were part of the ensemble before the Taliban took over in 2021.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“I have always had a deep interest in music, though I am not formally trained in it. An orchestra is a representation of how a society should work - people collaborating, working together and understanding that everyone has an equally important role to play,” shares Nirupama, who set up the orchestra in 2018.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The SASO is one of only a handful of symphony orchestras in India. Nirupama believes that as a country, we are only now opening up to western classical music. “In China, every little city has a symphony orchestra,” notes Nirupama, who has served as the Indian ambassador in China. The challenges of running a symphony orchestra, she says, are mostly financial and finding talent. She uses her personal connections and social media groups to find musicians best suited for the ensemble.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Apart from the concerts, they will hold a workshop on ‘Leadership and Collaboration in Music’. Participants will learn how singers and conductors work and interact together during performances.</p>.<p class="bodytext">‘Peace Notes’, August 2, 5 pm, at Christ University auditorium, Hosur Road, and August 3, 6.30 pm, at Bangalore International Centre, Domlur. Workshop on August 4, 7 pm, at Sabha Blr, Kamaraj Road. Details on symphonyofsouthasia.org</p>