Here's a Western classical recital where two musicians and a soprano, no older than 25, wait to surprise you with talent
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Five years into its existence, the Stop-Gaps Cultural Academy, known for its promotion of international music in the city through performances and training, launched the Young Talent concert series in 1989 in association with the National Centre for the Performing Arts. The decision emerged from the need for a platform that the academy's founders felt would encourage young artistes to showcase their talent before an audience. "For almost 30 years, circulars have been sent out to western classical music schools across the country, so talented musicians between the ages of 15 and 30 who have cleared certain certification-levels can apply for the series," says Alfred J D'Souza, conductor, The Stop-Gaps Choral Ensemble. While the first in the series for the year 2018 kicks off today, two more concerts will be held in July and August.
Meet the young musicians
Shantanu Patel, 25
Concert pianist and conductor Shantanu Patel's initiation into the western classical music happened comparatively later. "Till the age of 15, I wasn't much aware of the tradition. I used to play Indian classical and Bollywood songs on the keyboard. Things changed when a neighbour bought a grand piano. It fascinated me from the first time I saw it," says the Ahmedabad resident, who decided to pursue his passion academically. Patel completed his Masters in Music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and trained under renowned pianist Fali Pavri at the academy. Since his return, Patel has conducted masterclasses and performed in concerts across India. What would be his advice to a budding musician? "Finding a good teacher is important, and training abroad can make a difference. But music courses tend to be expensive, and scholarships are usually granted in the second year, so sorting out the money beforehand helps," he says. Patel will play pieces by Claude Debussy, Franz Liszt and Alberto Ginastera tonight.
Josh Henriques, 16
The beautiful sound of the violin first called out to Josh Henriques during one of the many concerts he would attend as a young connoisseur of western classical music. He started learning the stringed instrument when he was eight, and soon added the viola to his repertoire. "The viola is from the same family of instruments and has a singing quality to it," he says. Henriques has cleared certifications in both instruments offered by reputed conservatories in the UK, and even earned a full scholarship to attend the International Music Summer School at a school in Wells. He also plays regularly with the Bombay Chamber Orchestra and is a guest performer with the Goa String and Bangalore City orchestras. But for the modest 12th-standard student, it's all in a day's work. "Learning to play the violin can be daunting at first, but once you get a grip over it, you really start enjoying it. Everyone should pick up a musical instrument," he shares. For the concert, he will play compositions by Mozart, Pablo de Sarasate and John Williams.
Divya Sundaram, 22
A student of Carnatic and Hindustani classical music, Divya Sundaram was more keen on singing pop and jazz songs when it came to western music. "But then I joined Mr D'Souza's choir, and I began to appreciate western classical music. Soon, I was training in the tradition," says the soprano, whose diverse repertoire for the evening ranges from Puccini and Schubert to Rachmaninov. Sundaram has trained at AR Rahman's KM Music Conservatory in Chennai, and as is evident from her choice of compositions for the concert, she can sing in Italian, French, German and Russian, along with English, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi. "If I can sing in the western tradition for longer hours, that's because of my training in Indian classical music. Similarly, training in the former can be applied to any genre of music," says Sundaram. Given the high pitch that a soprano has to maintain, what does she have to be bear in mind while rehearsing? "It's the quality of practice that matters. One cannot strain the vocal cords," she says. The young singer would like to do her post-graduation from a music academy abroad.
ON: Tonight, 7 pm
AT: Experimental Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point.
CALL: 22824567
ENTRY: Rs 200
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