Symphony Orchestra of India to embark on an 8-concert UK tour
Symphony Orchestra of India is set to perform again in the United Kingdom
On the heels of a successful Autumn 2023 Season in Mumbai, the country’s first and only professional orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI), has announced its forthcoming United Kingdom tour commencing on November 29. It will cover seven cities including Coventry, London, Cambridge, Croydon, Bradford, Birmingham and Edinburgh.
In a press statement, SOI says that the tour will also witness the UK premiere of Indian music maestros Zakir Hussain’s Triple Concerto featuring Hussain along with Niladri Kumar on the sitar and Rakesh Chaurasia on the bansuri in London, Birmingham and Edinburgh.
SOI, a 17-year-old orchestra, says that it will be returning to the UK after its well-received maiden tour of the country in 2019.The tour will exhibit the orchestra’s calibre in playing complex classical compositions as well as its unique strength in being able to showcase a signature piece, specially commissioned by the orchestra, that represents a meeting of the classical traditions of South Asia and the West.
The orchestra will have eight concerts in the United Kingdom
SOI says that under its Music Director, Marat Bisengaliev, it performed with legendary conductor Zubin Mehta who described it as “a really very fine orchestra that can be compared with a lot of good ensembles all over the world.”
Shortly after the riveting concerts, the SOI ushered in its Autumn 2023 Season in September which was undoubtedly one of its most ambitious seasons. The statement adds that it featured esteemed conductors Alpesh Chauhan OBE and Richard Farnes, pianist Pavel Kolesnikov and welcomed celebrated cellist, Steven Isserlis, for his India debut.
“The SOI’s 17th year has been special. The SOI co-founder and Music Director Marat Bisengaliev and I are pleased to witness the orchestra’s journey and hope that this is only the beginning. The Autumn 2023 Season was a great success assisted by the excitement around the NCPA’s commissioning of a Triple Concerto for the tabla, sitar and bansuri played by the three great maestros, Zakir Hussain, also the composer, Niladri Kumar and Rakesh Chaurasia. We can safely say that it was one of the most successful seasons of the SOI in living memory. The same artists are now preparing to go to the UK. The tour promises to be a remarkable musical celebration and we look forward to presenting it to the audiences in the UK,” says Khushroo N Suntook, Co-founder, Symphony Orchestra of India and Chairman, NCPA.
