Sangat '07 to be held in Mumbai from Dec 20

Mumbai, Dec 14 (UNI) The Melhi Mehta Music Foundation and the National Centre for Performing Arts will present ''Sangat '07- The Chamber Music Festival'' from December 20 to 23 here at NCPA.

Speaking to UNI, Melhi Mehta Music Foundation Trustee Rashmi Poddar said, ''We have been presenting this music festival for the past 12 years and 15 musicians participate in the festival every year. We have two artistic directors, London-based brothers Ralph DeSouza and Harvy DeSouza, who source musicians across the world.

The artistes come from UK, US, Canada, Germany, France, Australia and Austria.'' Started in 1996 by the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation, the festival has grown in international repute over the past decade. The musicians, who participate each year accept no professional fee and often give up concert engagements abroad to take part in this festival.

Ms Poddar further said, ''We are most appreciative and indebted to Zubin Mehta for his personal involvement in all aspects of the Foundation. One of objectives of the Foundation was to foster an active awareness and interest in music in kids. The 'Discover Music' series now has an enrollment of 150 kids with many more in the waiting list.'' ''We are always looking for opportunities to present our audience with a wide and varied music repertoire, be it an internationally reputed philharmonic orchestra, chamber music or a fine solo recital. In a city like ours where the roots of Indian music are deeply embedded in teaching and learning, it has not been easy to find a platform for western classical music,'' she said.

''But there has never been a need to make a choice between classical Indian or Western music, for the soul was enriched by both,'' Ms Poddar added.

UNI