Symphony Orchestra of India

About the Orchestra

The Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI) is India’s first and only professional symphony orchestra, and is housed at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai. The SOI was founded in 2006 by NCPA Chairman Khushroo Suntook and internationally renowned violinist Marat Bisengaliev, who has since served as Music Director. The SOI currently offers two series of concerts–in February and September–every year, and over the past eight years, has performed around India and internationally, as well. Apart from the mainstays of the symphonic repertoire, the NCPA and SOI have also presented some large-scale productions, including fully staged operas. The Orchestra’s core group of musicians is resident at the NCPA all year round; additional players are recruited from a talented pool of professionals from around the world. Zane Dalal is the Associate Music Director, a position he has held since 2014, following serving over 6 years as Resident Conductor.

Since its inception, the Orchestra has worked with such internationally renowned conductors as Charles Dutoit, Lior Shambadal, Mischa Damev, Rafael Payare, Karl Jenkins, Adrian Leaper, Johannes Wildner, Alexander Anissimov, and Christoph Poppen, amongst others, and soloists including Barry Douglas, Michael Collins, Stephen Kovacevich, Tamas Vásáry, and Lena Neudauer. Recently, the SOI presented the India premiere of the Triple Concerto Melody of Rhythm with Zakir Hussain, Béla Fleck, and Edgar Meyer, as well as presenting the piece on tour at the Royal Opera House Muscat, Oman. Internationally, the SOI has also performed in Moscow, Russia, in the historic Hall of Columns, where a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony drew a ten-minute standing ovation from an audience comprising the highest echelons of Russian society, and critical acclaim in the Russian media. At home, the SOI also serves as the pit orchestra for the NCPA’s opera and ballet productions.

The SOI features a growing number of Indian players, representing the finest home-grown talent, which provides a solid foundation for the future of orchestral playing in the country. Many of the SOI musicians are also teachers as the orchestra places great emphasis on teaching and developing musical potential amongst young people in India. One of NCPA’s educational initiatives is the Special Music Training Programme, which brings a professional level of teaching to gifted young musicians.

Guest Conductors

List of guest conductors who have conducted the Symphony Orchestra of India:

1. Fuat Mansurov
2. Alexander Anissimov
3. Johannes Wildner
4. Adrian Leaper
5. Karl Jenkins
6. Vag Papian
7. Anne Randine Øverby
8. Tamás Vásáry
9. Evgeny Bushkov
10. Antonello Allemandi
11. Christoph Poppen
12. Charles Dutoit
13. Lior Shambadal
14. Mischa Damev
15. Rafael Payare
16. Duncan Ward
17. Augustin Dumay
18. Yuri Simonov
19. Charles Dutoit
20. Martyn Brabbins

Guest Artistes

1. Agnieszka Zwierko, mezzo soprano
2. Aleksandra Urbanska, viola
3. Amir, violin
4. Anando Mukerjee, tenor
5. Andrei Gavrilov, piano
6. Annamaria Dell’Oste, soprano
7. Anooshah Golesorkhi, baritone
8. Anton Zidaru, Spoletta
9. Assel Jexembekova, viola
10. Atham Tashmatov, cello
11. Atsuko Sahara, violin
12. Barry Douglas, piano
13. Bekezhan Rakishev, double bass
14. Béla Fleck, banjo
15. Benjamin Frith, piano
16. Boris Baraz, cello
17. Borislav Strulev, cello
18. Cavalleria Rusticana:
19. Chantal Juillet, violin
20. Colin Alexander, cello
21. Danielle Perrett, harp
22. Dauren Anuarbekov, cello
23. Denis Shapovalov, cello
24. Devid Cecconi, bass
25. Dmitry Sitkovetsky, violin
26. Edgar Meyer, double bass
27. Ekaterina Lekhina, soprano
28. Elena Kelessidi, soprano
29. Elmira Veda, soprano
30. Elzbieta Mrozek, viola
31. Filippo Adami, tenor
32. Galya Bisengalieva, violin
33. George Hlawiczka, violin
34. Gevorg Hakobyan, Alfio
35. Gustavo Porta, Cavaradossi
36. Helen Tudor, flute
37. Iano Tamar, Tosca
38. Ilya Itin, piano
39. Irina Krikunova, soprano
40. Jania Aubakirova, piano
41. John Lenehan, piano
42. Lena Neudauer, violin
43. Malcolm Messiter, oboe
44. Manuel von Senden, tenor
45. Marc Heller, tenor
46. Maria Zhakarova, viola
47. Mario Malagnini, tenor
48. Marouan Benabdallah, piano
49. Maureen Francis, soprano
50. Michael Collins, clarinet
51. Mikhail Senovalov, piano
52. Natalija Raithel, violin
53. Olga Lyapina, violin
54. Paulina Grondys, cello
55. Randi Emilie Dahlen, child soprano
56. Raphael Wallfisch, cello
57. Sabina Cvilak, Nedda
58. Silvio Zanon, Tonio
59. Stephen Kovacevich, piano
60. Tadasuke Iijima, violin
61. Tamás Vásáry, piano
62. Temirzhan Yerhanov, piano
63. Tone Kvam Thorsen, contralto
64. Vag Papian, piano
65. Valentina Kutzarova, mezzo-soprano
66. Vuyani Mlinde, bass baritone
67. Xuefei Yang, guitar
68. Zakir Hussain, tabla

International touring

Music Directors

NCPA Special Music Training Programme

The NCPA Special Music Training Programme was launched in 2012, to offer advanced string instrument tuition to talented young children. The programme offers a holistic music education that is inspired by the Russian Conservatoire method. Students receive substantial one-to-one tuition on their primary instrument, second-study piano lessons, group-singing teaching via the Solfeggio method, Music Theory classes and History of Music lectures. Apart from the string instruments and piano, the Programme currently offers lessons on select woodwind and brass instruments, with hopes to considerably expand in the near future. The Tutors of the NCPA Special Music Training Programme are all professional musicians from Eastern Europe and the United States. They have a wealth of international teaching and performing experience between them and each one of them is a member of the Symphony Orchestra of India and performs in the orchestral and chamber music performances.

Press Coverage

Pitch Perfect I 11 July 2014 I DNA
India’s Only Symphony Orchestra I 20 Sept 2012 Huffington Post