What could be common between Mahatma Gandhi, an Indian nationalist leader and Ludwig van Beethoven, a revolutionary German music composer? Both believed in freedom and questioned the authoritarian rule. On October 5, the Mahatma will 'meet' the maestro to celebrate this spirit of freedom.
The Bengaluru repertoire—From Gandhi to Beethoven: The call to freedom—organised by Chiragh - the South Asian Symphony Orchestra (SASO) to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, will witness music capture the common ethos of truth, peace, non-violence and social equality. Gandhi's life will find expression through the timeless symphony of the 19th century composer Beethoven.
SASO, the creation of the South Asian Symphony Foundation (SASF), was set up by former foreign secretary of India, Nirupama Rao and her husband Sudhakar Rao, to promote greater cultural integration for the cause of peace in the region of South Asia, consisting of eight countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
After its debut performance in Mumbai in April this year, SASO is presenting its second concert in Bengaluru, which will be followed by another at the Partition Museum in Amritsar, Punjab in January 2020.
"Our musicians from India and the neighbourhood play music together to rediscover their shared heritage. Orchestras cultivate mutual empathy, and the necessity for us to learn the art of listening to each other. It is an effort to strengthen cultural diplomacy," says Nirupama, who retired as India’s ambassador to the US in 2013.
This time, the orchestra will be conducted by Alvin Seville Arumugam of the Musicians’ Initiative in Singapore. It will include original music commissioned by the South Asian Symphony Foundation, composed by Antonius Nazareth and inspired by the life of Gandhi, alongside Beethoven’s timeless Symphony no. 5 and Piano Concerto no. 4 featuring pianist Julian Clef.
The concert will bring together musicians from India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, Afghanistan, Singapore and the South Asian diaspora in the United States and Europe.
