Noted conductors Martyn Brabbins Andrew Litton to lead Autumn season of Symphony Orchestra of India

    Mumbai, Jul 18 (PTI) Conductors Martyn Brabbins, Andrew Litton, violin player Marat Bisengaliev, and pianist Konstantin Scherbakov will lead the Symphony Orchestra of India in its Autumn season from August 12-26.
    The autumn season will feature a series of orchestral works by the likes of Wagner, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, and Mahler at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA).
    The season will open on August 12 with Andrew Litton, music director of the New York City Ballet, leading the SOI with one of the most acclaimed works in Wagner’s writings, the Prelude and Liebestod from the epic opera "Tristan und Isolde".
    The orchestra will also perform one of Mahler's most famous works, Symphony No. 5. The composer's first purely instrumental symphony, written during the summer of 1901-02, captures the essence of hope, grief, and triumph.
    The American conductor will continue to lead the SOI in the second concert of the season on August 17, sharing the stage with Scherbakov. The evening will witness Ravel's "Bolero", Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto in B-flat minor, Op. 23.
    The concert will conclude with one of Stravinsky’s most brilliant and evocative works – "Firebird Suite", K010 (1945 Version), which brings myth and magic to life with dazzling sound and colour.
    Brabbins, who is also set to take the role of the SOI's chief conductor from January 2026, will take the baton on August 22 with Rimsky-Korsakov’s beloved "Scheherazade", a vivid retelling of the tales from "One Thousand and One Nights".
    The evening concludes with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, a deeply personal and politically charged work that stands as a testament to the human spirit in times of adversity.
    “The SOI Autumn 2025 Season promises to be an inspiring chapter in the journey of the orchestra. With the debut of acclaimed international artistes and a repertoire of globally admired compositions, this Season reflects our continued commitment to deliver world-class quality. The orchestra has consistently evolved, performing alongside renowned musicians from across the world and meeting international standards," Khushroo N Suntook, chairman of the NCPA and co-founder of SOI, said in a statement.
    The autumn season will come to a close on August 26 with a grand finale conducted by Brabbins, joined by Bisengaliev, performing the ever-popular Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major – considered unplayable at the time of its composition in view of probable technical challenges.
    The evening will open with Elgar’s vibrant Cockaigne Overture (In London Town) and concludes with stirring excerpts from Prokofiev’s adaptation of the Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy – Romeo and Juliet, an evocative and dramatic orchestral work of the 20th century.

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